Frank's Finest
by Princess LaLaBlue
Summary: Despite the efforts of the cells of Frank, the health of the human has yet to improve four months after Thrax's attack, so newly elected Mayor Colonic comes up with a team. A team of Frank's Finest. What does that have to do with Jones, a cynical medical examiner named Rachel, and thought dead big daddy Thrax? Guess you'll have to read to find out… (Thrax X OC, Jones X Leah)
1. Chapter 1 Crimes, Slimes, and Scum

Chapter 1; Crime, Slime, and Scum:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

~o0o~

Rachel knew she must have been dreaming, or insane. She could hear the faint sound of bells as she continued to dance with the circus bear at the movie theater. Soft, chiming bells. They seemed to get louder and louder and the bear seemed to get angrier and angrier as she kept stepping on his paws. Now the bells were ringing, loud and obnoxious. Ringing, ringing, ringing, ringing…

Rachel snapped awake, the dream dropping her harshly back into reality. The white blood cell rubbed her eyes tiredly, tiring to wipe away the sleep from them, when it came to her attention that the ringing from her dream hadn't stopped. The phone. Rolling over to the other side of her bed, Rachel reached with a weary arm for the device that saved her from such a weird dream.

"Dr. Rachel Leucocytus, city of Frank's best medical examiner, speak now or forever hold your peace" She answered, her voice thick with drowsiness.

"Well good morning to you too Ray" A familiar voice called out from the other end of the line.

"Jones…" Rachel sighed exasperatedly as she messaged the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, already getting a headache form listening to the other white blood cell's exasperatingly cheery voice "What time is it, what do you want?" She asked him as she squinted her eyes towards the blaring red numbers of her clock on her bed stand, but they only remained a blurring mess. Where the hell were her glasses?

"It's 3:26 in the glorious morning Ray! Time to get up!" Ozzy replied, again with the upbeat voice. Having finally found her rectangular eye glasses, Rachel put them on and saw that her clock confirmed what the white blood cell said.

"Jones, if I killed you, would it be considered a crime, or a public service?"

"Ouch girl! You're breakin' my heart, and here I thought we were friends"

"I tolerate you for our job and Leah's sake; that is not the same as being friends" She replied dryly as she swung herself out of bed. Jones may be one of the more irritating cells she knew, but Ray had gotten to know him well enough through her recent work with him since he was reinstated to know that when he called at three in the morning, it wasn't for a social reason.

"What do we got Jones?" She asked him as she shuffled her way over to a crumpled pile of discarded clothes.

"Two stiffs down by the car garage in the left big toe. Bring a couple bags, its nasty" He answered. By now, Rachel had managed to zip up into her blue work jumpsuit over the wife beater tee she was sleeping in and was looking around for her black police boots.

"Alright Jones, I'll be right there. Is Drix with ya?" Finally spotting the boots after she turned on the bedroom light of her cheap, downbowel apartment, the white blood cell sat down on the grey carpet floor to work the sturdy shoes on.

"Here Miss Rachel!" Answered said pill from the noisy background.

"Good, make sure Jones doesn't do anything stupid Drix. I'll be right there" Before Ozzy could protest to the stupid comment, Rachel had already hung up on him.

Shoes now laced on, she stood up and walked herself over to the full length mirror hanging on her closed bedroom door. Her deep sapphire tinted body shimmered darkly in the bright light of the room, making her long plasmas hair look almost silver by comparison. Taking a black hair tie off her wrist, Rachel quickly gathered the thick hair into a messy bun. Pushing up her black rimmed glassed up to the bridge of her nose; the white blood cell checked herself out quickly with her obsidian blue eyes. Non-figure flattering jumpsuit, clunky shoes, hair a tangled mess, geeky glasses, complete with a I-couldn't-give-a-flying-fuck-what-you-think expression. All that was missing was a cup of coffee in her hands.

"Well, let's get this over with" She said to herself as she opened up the bedroom door, her voice beginning to take on its usual cynical tone.

It only took Rachel about twenty minutes to drive the black medical examiner van stationed at her small apartment building down to the big toe thanks to a good lack of traffic in down town Frank.

It wasn't hard to spot the mechanic garage Jones was talking about; the tell tail signs of cops, sirens, and yellow tape lead her right to it. After parking near a couple of patrol cars, Rachel made her way closer to the lively crime scene, a fat blue duffle bag slung across her shoulder.

The building was rather small for a mechanic garage, having only two doors for cars to enter, and was crowded by odd bits and ends of cars, both new and old that littered the ground around it. The bright light of the crime scene beams and sirens did not flatter the worn brown paint of the old, almost decaying building, making it strongly resemble the kind of place that not only children would avoid, but adults as well. Speaking of what people would want to avoid…

"Well, the Queen of the Dead has finally arrived! You gonna do your voodoo that you do so well now?" Jones called out teasingly as he ducked under the final barricade of yellow tape to greet her.

"If I wanted a joke Jones, I would follow you into the john and watch you take a leak" She replied nonchalantly to him as the two of them met up.

"Ouch, Doc, why you so cold?!" He shouted out offended as he followed Rachel over to the back side of the large mechanic garage building, where most of the commotion centered.

The two hardened employs of FPD often greeted each other this way since coming to know one another, more out of jest than true dislike. Before his suspension was lifted, Rachel, who had only came to work for the forensics department after his disgraceful demotion, had only ever heard of the cop that caused the famous 'Vomit Incident' from both the papers and from Leah, and the two mostly agreed in Jones being a public nuisance.

But now it seems that both the public and Leah, had changed their minds about Jones, one hailing him a hero for defeating that virus, the other dating him. Rachel, never one to let others, even friends, change her mind until she had gathered all the evidence she possible could on the subject, decided to wait to meet this so called 'savoir of Frank' before she joined the throng of gratefuls. Boy was she ever disappointed.

First time the two of them crossed paths was over four months ago at a crime scene when he was welcomed back into the force with open arms. He tried to get her to fetch some coffee for him and Drix. To say the least, it rubbed her the wrong way. However, once she beat it into his head, literally, that she was a fully licensed medical examiner, not a gofer, the two of them got along. In their own dysfunctional way.

"So, what's the situation Jones?" Rachel asked as Jones caught up with her to guide her in the exact direction of the bodies.

"Two G-gang members by the looks of it. Sliced open by what looks like a huge knife or something, most here figure it was another scuffle between the Gs' and the BTs gangs" He answered, a slight frown coming across his normally cheery face. Though the city was finally starting put some effort towards cleaning up the streets, both thanks to the new mayor, Tom Colonic, and the police force, some things had yet to change. Jones knew from the beginning of this project 'Clean-up Frank' it was going to be difficult.

But the last four months of non-stop dedication, resolution, and heart every one of his fellow officers put in, had barley taken the crime rates down by five percent. It seemed that no matter how hard everyone tried, there were some things about Frank that would take a lot more than good intentions and dedicated cops to change. And truthfully, even Jones himself was becoming a little pessimistic about the future of his hometown. Sure, the big guy tried, and on the outside the human was looking better than he had in decades, but the inside was still just as rotten, just as disgusting as it had always been.

As for right now, Jones was starting to believe that if they ever were able to reach the state of health and care that this city dreamed of, it would only be by some sort of miracle.

"Another turf war? Didn't the Germs and Bacteria have one last week?" A puzzled Rachel asked him as the two of them turned down the far back wall of the garage, pulling him out of his uncharacteristically dark thoughts.

"Yeah. And that's not the only weirdness about this. Wait till you see the bodies…" He answered. Turning one final corner, the two had at long last made it to the main crime scene. The backside of the garage was much like the front, old, decaying, and littered with spare car parts. The only difference was that here there was a fenced off area for the cars that were kept here over night and a couple of bodies lying next to it roped off by the customary yellow tape.

Very, very messy bodies. As Rachel walked closer with Jones beside her, she could see what he meant by weirdness. In all her years of cleaning up crime scenes, preforming autopsies, testing icky slimy goo that she really wished she did not know the origins of, this was by far one of the most oddest things she had ever seen. Lying on the ground, not far apart from one another, were two germs, their mucus colored green skin betraying their infectious abilities, well, what little skin there was. Every part, from head to toe, clothes to skin, was shredded.

Not cut or sliced, shredded, making the bodies look like they were only barley holding themselves together by invisible strings. Laying down her duffle bag outside the pool of long dried, deep green blood that encircled the two ex-germs, Rachel stepped her way closer beside the bodies, her face alight with disturbed fascination.

"Jones, no knife could have ever done this. Or any gang member. This was most defiantly the work of…something else…" She trailed off as she bent down to look at the face of the germ to her left, a calculating gaze in her eyes as she began her investigation. Jones, knowing that Rachel didn't like to have someone hover over her shoulder while she worked, stuck his hands into his coat pockets and paced as he thought out loud.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Cause one, the Gs' and BTs just had a fight, which the BTs won, so why would they start another when their men are still recoverin'? Two, the BTs don't fight with knives, both sides use guns" He monologue stopped there for a moment as he watched Ray step away from the bodies and make towards her bag. Unzipping one of the multitudes of side pockets open, the medical examiner pulled out a pair of latex gloves and a couple of measuring instruments.

"So, for once, you admit that I am right? You're not going to question my diagnosis this time?" She asked as she leaned down beside the same body from before, this time opening the eye lid of the germ, trying to determine the proper time of death.

Ozzy's constant cocky and cheery attitude were not the only traits that rubbed Ray the wrong way, he also was prone to annoy her more so by always questioning her decisions and diagnosis. Not that she was the kind of person unable to take criticism, hell, for most of her life all she ever heard from others was critiques and insults. But it was the fact that he would ask questions without really thinking, just like how he'd talk, that pushed her buttons.

"Well, because I finally come to trust you, Doc. Just cause a person has got a college degree don't mean they know jack shit about anything better than I do. Bu you got a great brain, and I trust it's skills" He replied in a shockingly humbles tone, taking Ray quite by surprise. She quickly righted herself, and just kept on working, muttering a quiet thank you just in case he was being serious in his compliment.

"Miss Rachel, a word?" Shouted a voice from the other end of the well-lit back yard. A huge form of the red and yellow patterned pill could be seen making his way closer over to the pair of white blood cells, an excited look in his eyes.

"Yeah Drix?" Ray answered him as he came to a stop near Jones. While Ray and Ozzy had locked horns the first time they ever met, Drix and Ray seemed to get along just fine. Maybe it was because the two of them found solace in each other's aptitude in the presence of Jones' dimly lit intellect.

"The responding officer testified that the unidentified caller who reported the crime, did say that he saw a figure hanging about the bodies, so the time of death is probably very close to 2:50 in the morning when the call was made" Drix replied in his self-assured voice.

"Thank you Drix" Ray said in a near sweet voice, causing the pill to smile. The time given to her was almost precisely the hour she had just determined in her short investigation, so at least one aspect of this bizarre case was true-

"Yo!" Jones objected beside his partner, causing his rare smile to disappear "I was the one who found that out! What about my thank you?" Ray sighed inwardly as she said goodbye to the fleetingly smart and humble Jones, his annoying true-self coming around to spoil the short lived moment.

"Thank you Defective Detective" Rachel answered him, the sweetness in her voiced now replaced with annoyance and even slight disdain for the light blue blood cell. Drix could not help but chuckle lightly at the disgruntled look on Jones' face as Ray went right back to work.

"Teacher's pet" He mumbled in the general direction of his medicinal companion.

Within a few more moments, Ray finally had completed her initial investigation of the bodies. Usually she would now hand the task of preparing to move the bodies and inspect the crime scene for further investigation of trace evidence to one of her assistants while she would brief the responding officers with her findings. But recently all of her employees, assistants, and even interns had disappeared on her.

Not quit, disappeared. No two-week warning, no resignation form, only a voice message from each of them giving her some half assed explanation for their leave of absence. To say the least she was rather curious as to why they would all abandon their jobs, as well as annoyed that she would have to do their jobs until she could find replacements, which was proving to be much more difficult than she imagined.

"Alright, this is what we got" She finally said out loud, deciding to get the briefing over with. Jones and Drix, who had started talking amongst themselves, instantly brought their attentions back on the sapphire blue blood cell before them as she tip toed her way around the bodies closer them.

"As you two already seem to know, these two Gs' here were most likely not taken down by a Bacteria gang member. One, these guys were jumped. You can tell by the way the bodies are laid out, these guys never even saw their attacker coming"

"Makes sense" Drix mussed aloud "The BTs and Gs' do have a certain amount of honor in that they face each other when fighting, here, these men didn't even seem to have time to even see their murderer"

"Exactly" Ray continued "Whoever did this was sneaky, quick, but not uncontrolled. Don't let the sloppy mess fool you; this killer knew exactly what she or he was doing. By the cuts, you can tell that the vital areas, the throat, writs, and inner thighs were sliced first, after which these poor suckers quickly bled to death. As for the rest of the cuts, they were done postmortem"

"What?! You mean the guy who cut these G's down waited for them to die, and then chopped them up some more? Well, it don't take much detective work to figure out that what we got here, is one really sick psycho" Jones concluded, his face twisted up in disgust.

"Brilliant minds often are twisted Jones. This _thing_, whatever it was, was really good. I estimate that it didn't take longer than two minutes for these two to die, and then maybe another additional two for their bodies to be reduced to this state" Ray continued to speak as she pulled out measuring tape from her duffle bag, pulling the incremented tape out till it reached the length of six inches and three-fourths, and held it up for the two cops to see.

"And the weapon used, well I should say weapons, were claws" Jones and Drix's faces became serious, and a knowing glance was shared. Claws, only high level germs, bacteria, and fungal infections had those, and the longer they were, the worse the illness they caused. By these measurements, this fellow would not be the worst the two hardened cops had ever come across, but still neither of them would ever fancy being alone with this disease. Especially after seeing how skilled it was with those claws…

"Doc, you certain about the _claws_ part, most only have one on their left hand…" Jones dared to question. Ray glared at him, allowing the measuring tape to snap back into its case; so much for 'you got a great mind, and I trust its skills' speech. But really, she couldn't imagine ever bringing herself to one day hope for Jones to never question anything, for, though she would never admit it, it was an almost endearing, though still annoying, trait of his. Jones, who was familiar with the 'dare you question me' glare from Ray, was surprised to see it pass and be replaced with a near sweet smirk.

"Defiantly Jones. The cuts are in sequenced of four, and are layered on top each other so" She placed her spread fingers on top of each other to demonstrate "It's how the unsub was able to make so much damage in so little time" Not certain if he was more shocked to see Ray smiling at him and not threatening him, or more concerned that the unsub was becoming more menacing by the minute, Jones shook his head solemnly.

"Right. This guy sounds too bad-ass illin' for our regular boys in blue. I'll go talk to the chief, see if I can get us assigned the case Drix"

"You already have been" Announced a voice from beside Drix. All eyes turned upon a dim grey brain cell that had snuck up beside them.

"Andrew Aspleen. What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Ray hissed out venomously.

"Hello Rachel, still as resentful as ever I see. I am the mayor's new assistant in case you haven't heard, since Miss Leah has…gone on to bigger and better things in politics" Andrew replied smoothly. Ray's lips curled up into a disgusted sneer.

She had dealt with a lot of slime and scum in her line of work, but Andrew was the only one who could walk, talk, and personally piss her off. Drix and Ozzy's eyes darted uncomfortably between the sleeked haired, tweed suited brain cell and the messy bun studded bracelet wearing white cell, becoming very uncomfortable about the rising levels of contempt and hidden grudges.

"I'll ask one more time before I kick your ass out of this crime scene, what the hell do you think you're doing here?" Ray repeated.

"I am here to deliver an invitation from the Mayor, who not only wants to see all of you," Andrew's yellowed grey eyes made contact with Jones, Drix, and Ray's to emphasize "but also has personally assigned you all to this case"

"That is very helpful of the Mayor, and kind" Drix voiced out as he moved away from Ozzy to stand beside Ray, who looked ready to rip out the brain cell's throat "But why would he do either for us?" Andrew's lips curled into a knowing sneer.

"All will be revealed when you go to meet the Mayor. Today, eight a.m., his office" Andrew then turned around and walked away, but before he turned the corner of the mechanic garage where his car was parked, he threw one last glance back at the strange trio.

"Don't be late, _Viscel_" He said, his eyes firmly on Ray as he did.

Rachel finally let out the breath she had been holding. By Frank how she hated that man. Bottling up the fiery emotion away for the moment, she proceeded to get the bodies ready for transportation and bent down beside her duffle bag.

"Alright, I know you're not exactly the most mild tempered girl around, but I have never, ever, seen you look so pissed off. Excluding the time I told you to grab me coffee" Jones voiced as he watched Ray.

"And what did he mean by calling you 'Viscel'? Is that some sort of insult?" Asked Drix, who, like Jones, had hardly missed the transaction of unfathomable hate and loathing that passed between the grey and sapphire cell. Ray stopped her work to look up at the two boys standing above her, concerned. It annoyed her greatly.

"Don't worry about it. Just an old high school rival. And no Drix, it's not an insult, just some stupid nickname I had when I was younger" Drix simply smiled, satisfied with her answer, and left to go find the responding officer to finish up his questioning now that they were officially on the case. Jones stayed behind though, his eyes never leaving Ray as she ignored him and moved one of the stiffs into a body bag.

After a moment of pondering and watching Ray continue on in her work as if he was not there, Jones himself decided to take leave, but not without one last comment.

"See you at the Mayor's office Ray, and uh, you might want to take a shower and slip into something nicer Doc, cause, eew" Ray rolled her eyes as she wiped the bodily fluids that was coating her gloved hands off on her overalls, an amused smile on her face.

Boys are so squeamish.

o0o

After taking up Jones's suggestion of a shower and change of clothes, Ray made her way up to the Brain Stem around seven forty-five to find him and Drix waiting for her, along with Leah, who was to escort them.

"Lee!" Ray shouted happily as she came over to her closest friend. The beautiful brain cell welcomed the ecstatic woman in her arms, the both of them exclaiming estactically.

"Sugar, it's been too long!" Leah replied, her voice just as excited.

"Damn, honey, where did you get that dress? You look sexy"

"You've seen this dress before you faker. However, I love that leather jacket, and those earrings, they really-"

"Oh, for the love of Frank and his testosterone levels, please stop with the girly-talk! It's because of this kind of thing that Shane was able to talk Frank into going to the spa with her!" Jones pleaded. Two feminine icy glares where thrown at him, and the cell felt a chill go through his body.

By Frank, those girls were scary. As he watched them ignore his and Drix's presence and continue with their chat, Jones thought back to the when he first heard that Leah knew Rachel, and vice versa. At first, he could not believe it, especially when he heard that they had been best friends since high school. He actually thought it was a cruel joke of some kind.

They were both just too different, and you didn't even have to know them to see that, just look at them. Leah was always classy in skirts and suits while Rachel was threatening on near punk with leather and jeans. There was more besides their clothes that separated the two women, physically they were night and day. Leah had the body of a curved goddess to Jones, while Ray, well…Ray was short, slim, and didn't really have much to show off.

But Jones wasn't the kind of man to separate woman from each other based on what they wore or how looked, no, what did it for Jones was the two girls' personalities. Sweet, mildly-sassy, always smiling, that was his girl. Snarky, curt, and almost always scowling, that was Ray. But, like some wise guy once said, opposites attract, and no one, more than Jones, should know that to be true of him and his own best friend.

"I know that you two have not seen each other for some time" Spoke out Drix, who not only interpreted the two girl's catching up, but Ozzy's thoughts about the first time he had met the cold pill "But I believe we must really be going or we shall be late for our meeting with the Mayor"

The two women pursed their lips into a scowling pout for a moment at the thought of delaying their chat, but knew the pill was right. Linking arms, the girls walked towards the brainstem elevator together, the boys following.

o0o

Five minutes later the strange gang of friends was in the office of the newly elected Mayor Tom Colonic. Ray, dead tired from her early day, plopped herself unceremoniously in one of five chairs placed in front of the desk where the main man himself was seated. Colonic looked somewhat of a peacock to her, the huge window wall behind him his pea feathers and the politician grin his cockiness.

"Good to see you again, Jones, Drix. Miss Leah. And Miss Leucocytus, I believe this is the first time we have met. I must admit, you are…different than what I was expecting for Frank's most brilliant medical examiner" Said the murky grey colored brain cell. Ray merely half-smiled and nodded, not bothering with the formalities that Leah and Drix were going through with their polite howdy-dos, and how's-your-wife.

Looking over to see Jones helping himself to a chair and ignoring the mayor, Ray smiled. If there was one thing that she and Jones had in common that she wasn't ashamed to admit, it was their problem with dealing with authoritative figures. It wasn't like she exactly hated the mayor, or even disliked him for that matter. It was just that all her life she had something against the 'top dog' that had been ingrained into her from day one. Personally she blamed, and thanked, her parents for that.

"Sir, a Mr. Andrew Aspleen said that you were to explain something to us? Would you mind clarifying?" Drix politely replied as he sat down in a chair as well, it's unusual shape clearly meant for him. Leah, who was also instructed to stay for this strange meeting, sat herself to the left of Drix, Jones being already seated in the chair right to hers.

"Gladly" Said Tom as he straightened his tie, a more serious expression falling onto his already no-nonsense face "Gentlemen and ladies, as you all can tell, Frank, is not getting better like we had once hoped he would with my election"

"Sir, we just need a little bit more time, it has only been four months…" Leah interjected. The mayor merely shook his head.

"I admire your hopefulness Miss Leah, but I am afraid that it will take more than hope to fix this body. Isn't that right Jones?" Ozzy looked up from the thumbs he was tiddling, a wide-eyed expression on his face.

"Huh? Oh, well, in all honesty, nothing has really changed, despite the sweat and blood everyone has been putting in to it" He admitted, his face falling. Head nodding in agreement, the mayor then looked over to Ray, who was taping her feet in time to a tune that refused to leave her head. I wanna see your peacock, cock, cock, your peacock, cock…damn pop music. So catchy and yet so bad.

"And you Miss Leucocytus, has the body count decreased in the slightest since my election?"

"No" She simply replied as she just continued gazing out the window behind the mayor's desk and tapping her foot. Another nod from Colonic. Standing up, the mayor made his way to the front of his desk, and sat on the corner.

"There you have it Miss Leah. And that is why I am creating a program, one directed towards cleaning up Frank's streets, spreading justice, and creating a decent and proud place to live"

Ray let a slight smirk grace her lips. While she may not think the world of any politician, Leah being the exception, she was starting to take a liking to this one. He was at least admitting to the little to no results they were all hoping for, and now was doing something to rectify it. But what that something was, she had no idea.

"What kind of program?" Leah asked. Everyone else's eyebrows lifted up in surprise. So the agenda for this meeting was hidden from even Leah, the mayor's right hand woman?

"Well, not exactly a program. More like a team. A team of Frank's finest. Frank's finest politician and newly elected district attorney," The mayor explained as he nodded in Leah's direction. The beautiful brain cell smiled shyly back.

She still felt uneasy about her hasty promotion, one which she had only just heard about three days ago, but she was determined to do her best. Out of the corner of her eye, Leah could see her man, his best friend and hers, grinning approvingly and proudly at this piece of news.

"Frank's finest duo of police officers" A nod towards Jones and Drix. Two sheepish smiles in return.

"Frank's finest medical examiner and forensic expert" A nod towards Ray. A forced grin in return. Colonic's face fell for a moment as he braced himself for the last bit of his speech. Pushing a button behind him on his desk, the mayor opened a pair of doors to everyone's left that had gone unnoticed till now. Three huge bodies shuffled through the doors.

"And Frank's finest criminal"

Jones, Leah, and Drix shot up from their seats, mouths hanging open in utter shock.

Curious, Ray looked away from the window and towards the three men who had just entered. They were all in a line, two burly looking cops bordering a prisoner clad in the tell-tale orange jumpsuit. As if that wasn't enough to raise some questions, the prisoner's looks certainly was.

He had deep, scorching red skin, dark purple dreads brushing against broad shoulders, and the brightest, sickest, gold-yellow eyes Ray had ever seen. As the three men walked closer, Ray could not look away from the prisoner, the way his shoulders moved from side to side screamed of his predatory nature. And his smile, his smile flashed like a bolt of hot electricity, sending an involuntary shiver down Ray's spine, who was suddenly very glad that she had chosen the seat farthest from the hidden door.

Jones couldn't breathe, it was just his imagination, it had to be. But no, for even in his wildest nightmares this wouldn't be possible. So then, how?

"…Thrax?" He asked aloud.

~o0o~

Finally! You guys have no idea how long it took me to write this first chapter! Gah, nearly three months, three months, and five rewrites, FIVE! I started as Thrax being an alien that accidently abducted a human girl, and somehow ended up him still being a virus in a CSI, Closer, Criminal Minds kind of episodic story! Yeah, that much of a change! I really hope it was worth it, I have great plans for this story that I believe you fans will enjoy.

So, until I post the next chapter (hope it doesn't take me another three months, grr)…

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Let's turn up the heat in here.

(Btw, this is my first fanfiction; please tell me how I did! Please!)


	2. Chapter 2 Deals with Devils

Chapter 2; Deals with Devils:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

Before we get started here, I would like to personally thank the people who had favored and reviewed my story, thank you all for your support and kind words, they mean a lot to me!

~o0o~

_One bad thing about making a deal with the devil is, he always comes to collect._

Thrax knew he was alive. At least, that's what he interoperated the stinging pain he felt as. As feeling, as life, his life, still going. Breathing steadily, he tried to move, but found he could not, and he wondered why.

He was sitting, that much he knew, on a wooden chair, and that his hands were behind him. Moving his wrists, he could feel the friction of rope against them. Tied, he was tied. Daring to open his eyes, Thrax instantly regretted it when his blurred vision was met with a burning, bright light aimed at his face. His drained energy returning to him slowly, Thrax rejuvenated his efforts to work his wrists out of the rope, ignoring the waves of pain that washed all over his skin as best as he could.

"So, you're finally awake" Called out a deep, unfamiliar voice.

"Who are you?" Thrax, still struggling, growled out in his own husky voice. It hurt to speak, the inside of his throat feeling like he had swallowed sand paper. Just…what happened to him?

"No one you need concern yourself with…yet" Thrax scoffed. So, this guy wanted to play games, huh? Not a smart move to pull with him, especially in the mood he was in.

"You got three seconds till I silt your throat to tell me who you are, what you want, and how the hell I got here _boy_"

The voice, seemingly belonging to a shadowed figure behind the lamp that was blinding Thrax, chuckled darkly.

"I would love to see you try that in your condition. In case you have forgotten, you did fall into a vat of sterilizing alcohol. You're lucky to even be breathing. Nearly all of your skin has had to regrow after being burned away…" Thrax's yellow eyes widened in remembrance.

That's right, he fell, and he burned like he never had before. Yet he was still alive? Thrax searched through the haze that was his memory of his failed escape from the city of Frank, his fight with that damned immunity cell, and his fall into the alcohol. But after that, he couldn't remember anything, only darkness. So what happened?

"I rescued you, brought you back here to Frank, and for the past three months, have been nursing you back to health. You're welcome" The voice answered the question inside Thrax's mind, knowing exactly what he was thinking. A sneer twisted up the red virus' face.

"Why?"

"Oh, you'll find out, eventually. But not now Thrax. Right now, you need to sleep, you still have a long way till recovery, _boy_" And with that, Thrax felt someone else come up behind him, and a cloth was pressed against his nose and mouth. Forced to breathe through the chemically soaked dish rag, Thrax felt his eye lids grow heavy, and the strong arms of unconsciousness pull him into a deep, dreamless sleep.

o0o

"…Thrax?" Jones asked aloud, his head shaking in horrified disbelief.

"Hello Jones, didya miss me?" Spoke the virus, enjoying his first bout of consciousness since waking up in that dark room with the strange voice.

Thrax was not one to ever feel grateful, but whoever pulled him out of the vat, certainly kept his promise about him recovering, not that it would keep him from still kicking that punk's ass though. Especially since the first thing he woke up to were a pair of handcuffs and the FPD guarding his personal prison cell, waiting to escort him here.

Though ordinarily Thrax would have sliced all their throats then and there, his interest and curiosity was peeked when the two burly cops who were beside him now told him that the mayor of Frank wanted to see him. And now, seeing the shocked expression of Jones and his friends, Thrax, fully healed and as strong as ever was glad he put aside his inevitable escape, if just so he could enjoy this sight.

"You…you're…alive?! How, when, why?! Mayor! What the hell is he doing here, breathing?!" Jones ranted. Leah and Drix nodded in agreement, their scowling faces eyeing Thrax hatefully.

Rachel herself stayed quiet and seated as she looked over the virus quickly. So, this was Thrax, the famous virus who nearly brought the city of Frank to its knees, and with it, everyone's lives. Looking him over once more, Ray couldn't keep herself from shuddering. It was rare for the white blood cell to let someone intimidated her, especially within the first five seconds of meeting them, but the menacing, scorching air that surrounded the deep red virus commanded that she cower in his presence.

After a moment, Ray scoffed, letting the feeling of fear pass through her. She would not let some illness that was stupid enough to let Jones to get the better of him intimidate her. Steeling her expression into her usual cynicism, she listened and watched.

"He was found in the mouth, Jones. Apparently, he had managed to drag himself back into Frank after we had thought him dead from the sterilizing alcohol" Replied Colonic, who was still sitting on top his desk calmly.

"But what is he doing here? In your office?" Leah asked, hiding her fear and slight panic over the virus' presence with a calm and collected voice.

"Aww, didn't you miss me baby? And here I thought after the time we had alone together in that car, you'd be dying for my _company_" Thrax sneered out. Jones, hardly appreciating Thrax's insinuation, held his girlfriend back from ripping apart the virus' throat. The sneer turned into an amused smirk as Thrax sat himself down in the fifth chair that was obviously meant for him, the two guards coming to stand on both sides of it.

"You may leave now, gentlemen" The mayor commanded the two cops "He will not cause us any harm"

"And what makes you so certain that I won't tear your guts out?" Thrax asked once the two cops had followed through with Colonic's orders and had left, pushing his purple locks back with a clawed hand. The mayor merely smiled at the threat.

"I hardly believe that you have missed the black bracelets that have been placed on both your wrists, have you not?" Thrax, along with everyone else, glanced down at his clawed hands, and saw that the mayor was right. Two hair thin bands rested tightly on the other wise free wrists of Thrax, who till now had barely acknowledged their existence.

"So, what about them?"

"Those bracelets are programed to activate the antibodies that have been injected into your body any time you try to summon you infectious power. Trying to remove the bracelets will produce the same effect" Thrax face twisted up in anger, his hands balling up into fists. He knew there was a reason why his handcuffs had been taken off before he entered the mayor's office.

But he had thought it was because the two cops believed that the drug they told him they gave him before he was brought here had taken effect. Guessing that what he had thought to be a drug to keep him under control could be these inactivated antibodies the brain cell was talking about, Thrax leaned forward in his chair, his yellow eyes burning.

"You think I would fall for such a cheap bluff?" He said as he flexed his clawed fingers, knuckles cracking. If the cell was telling him the truth, then he would have to prove it on pain of death, for no one threatened Big Daddy Thrax to his face, and breathed another five seconds.

"Besides, there's more than one way to gut a cell" Thrax added, smirk growing as he noticed Jones and the pill stiffen at the threat.

"I'm sure there is. But know this, I, and many others that I trust, each have a device that will, whether you use your infectious powers or not, release the antibodies within you, and you will die. Very slowly and painfully" Colonic lifted a small remote looking contraption that had been lying beside his name plate, a huge red button in the middle that his thumb rested gently upon.

"Your life is, literally, in my hands Mr. Thrax"

The virus narrowed his eyes dangerously, and it might have been Ray's semi-terrified mind playing tricks on her, but it seemed her that scorching waves of anger were rolling off of the red virus, turning the air around them all to an alarmingly sweltering degree.

"How about we test that little theory of yours, hmm?" The virus growled out. Standing up, Thrax dwarfed the mayor, who was still seated calmly on his desktop. Smirking down, Thrax slowly lifted his left hand, calling forth within himself the heat of his power into his extended fore claw. It took a moment, but soon Thrax felt that familiar blistering warmth well-up inside him, collecting into his hand, causing his fore claw to glow an eerie, fiery orange.

"Doesn't it just kill you to be so wrong?" Thrax growled out mockingly as he raised his claw high, about to strike.

"Mayor!" Shouted Leah in her panic as Jones and Drix sprang into action. Ray shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to see even someone as scummy as the mayor cut down to size. Not literally at any rate.

Expecting to hear the sound of flesh being sliced through, Ray was shocked to find that the only sound to be heard was silence. Daring to squint open her eyes, they grew wide with shock at what she saw. There, frozen as if someone had pressed the pause button on life, was Thrax, his left hand high in the air above the composed mayor's head. The virus' body twitched and shivered with strain as he tried to move, his eyes wide with shock and furious frustration. Jones and Drix were standing beside him, ready to grab him, but both were just too stunned to actually make a move, their faces wide-eyed with disbelief.

"Mm…a little slow in the activation, but the results are as good as to be expected. Wouldn't you say, Mr. Thrax?" Asked the mayor as nonchalantly as if he was talking about the weather or a new car he bought.

Thrax couldn't move, he could barely even breathe. Pain, ice cold pain pulsed through his veins, chilling him from the inside slowly. The virus almost preferred the burning vat of sterilizing alcohol to this unbearable sensation as it slowly creeped into his bones, soon to be reaching his core. The only thing he could do was twist his face into a pained sneer, his yellow eyes glowing with rage as he looked down at the brain cell who continued to smile up at the notorious mass murder whose life was his to control. Or end.

"The pain you feel, that's the antibodies doing their job. When they sense you draw up your infectious power to attack, they attack you. The longer you keep up your infectious power, the faster they kill you. The only way to stop it is for you to stop, whether by choice or by death"

Thrax just continued to stand there, in frozen agony. He refused to back down, and so did the antibodies inside him, chilling his mind and senses. The others just stood by, watching in horror as the virus tried to win out the battle that was within him. Ray in particular was absolutely dismayed at the powers the antibodies had over the virus; seeing someone in pain, even a deadly virus, rarely caused her any form of joy. Key word was 'rarely'.

She could tell she wasn't the only one though. Jones, although he still saw Thrax as a man who deserved only death, could not help but almost feel pity for the twitching and shivering virus before him, fighting with all his might to regain control over his body. Key word was 'almost' for him though.

Finally, the chill within Thrax creeped up to his heart, and the ice touch became too much for the virus to take. Ordering his infectious powers to calm down to its regular simmer, Thrax felt the pain slowly die down until it was gone, but its presence was not forgotten. Now able to move, he let his clawed hand drop to his side, feeling like a man finally able breathe after nearly drowning in artic waters, exhausted from the fight for air. Shuddering, scowling, Thrax glared at Jones and Drix beside him before his rage filled eyes landed on the mayor. The two cops were ready to jump the virus, but the smile Colonic was still wearing told them that it would be unnecessary.

"So Mr. Thrax, how about you sit back down, and listen to my little…proposition?"

The two men continued glared at each other, one glowering, one smiling, both trying to gain the upper hand in their wordless fight for dominance. In the back of his mind, Thrax went over every single possibility of him trying to get out of this, but none of them ended too pleasantly for him. Though he was a proud virus, he was not exactly the death before dishonor type. More of the survive this and then plot horribly gruesome and violent revenge. Plus, he had already been at death's door once, and he did not fancy revisit.

For the first time in Thrax's life, someone had finally cornered him; someone finally had power over his life, and could infect his body at will. It was almost ironic.

Finally, to everyone's surprise, the virus laughed, his deep, eerie, chuckle resounding off the walls of the spacious office. Once again, Ray felt another involuntarily shiver run down her spine, knowing she was going to be hearing that laugh later in her nightmares. But thankfully, her wish that the virus would stop laughing came true as Thrax stopped to settle his unnerving eyes on the cells around him.

"Well now baby, looks like I got no choice but to" He said as he made his way back to the leather chair he was sitting in before, Jones and Drix stepping away from him and closer to Ray and Leah as he did.

"What I want to know now is why you haven't already pressed that button, or for that matter, left me to die in the mouth instead of taken me in and healin' me. That was you, am I right?" Thrax asked as he sat himself down, enjoying the horrified expression of Jones and his friends at the revelation that their mayor would ever do such a thing.

"More or less," Colonic answered, putting down the remote, but keeping it within reach "The reason, Mr. Thrax, is because I want to make a deal with you. You work with Jones, Drix, Leah, and Miss Rachel to clean up the city Frank to the state of health we want him at, and then we will remove those bracelets. You fight against crime, and in return, you get your freedom, so long as you leave Frank of course"

"What?! Aw, hell no man! You can't be serious!"

"Mayor, how could you?"

"Sir, this is a most unwise deal, you just cannot, y-you just can't!"

"I can, and I have. Mr. Thrax, do you accept?" A crooked, toothy grin spread across the virus' face as he leaned back further into the leather chair.

"Me? Playing the hero? Hm, sounds like a gas baby, bring it on. Besides," Thrax added as he tapped the metal bracelets on his wrists with a clawed finger, his smile turning into a sneer "Looks like I don't got a choice" He repeated once more.

"I refuse to go through with this plan of yours Mayor! I trusted you, I thought you were going to be the best thing to happen to this body, and now you do this!"

"I'm with Leah here, if this is your plan, than you can count me out!" Shouted Jones with Drix nodding his head in firm agreement to his friend's statements. The mayor, still smiling, just sat there on his desk, as calm as can be.

"Miss Leah, your mother, she hasn't been feeling well of late, has she?" All were taken aback by the unexpected direction the conversation took, and looked about each other questionably. Ray, still seated and relatively ignored, narrowed her eyes, already knowing where the mayor was going with this. The sick son of a botchulism, and she was just starting to not hate him too.

"Y-yes sir. It's her heart…" Leah stuttered out, wondering what her mother's health had to do with anything.

"Wouldn't be a shame if her insurance could no longer afford to pay for her medication?" Eyes widened all around the room, faces falling in disgusted shock.

"You bastard!" Shouted Jones as he wrapped a comforting arm around his girl, whose expression was that of the ultimate betrayal.

"Jones, how would you like it if Drix's citizenship papers were found to be fakes? He would have to be deported, and you fired for aiding in forgery" Thrax chuckled under his breath. Oh, the look on Jones' face right now was sweeter than the one he made when he first learned that his hated enemy was still alive. Ah, it's the little things in life.

Jones couldn't even speak, but he wanted to, he wanted to shout and curse at the man who had betrayed his trust and everyone's' in the city. But he couldn't, not without getting someone he loved hurt. How long had he been scheming to betray them all like this, to corner them into doing whatever he wanted? Jones feared the answer.

Colonic looked around at the defeated faces of Jones and his friends and the confident smirk of the virus, knowing that he had won.

"Very well then, it appears that we are all agreed. This team, 'Frank's Finest', will be put into action as of now-"

"No, it won't" Spoke the forgotten fifth. Rachel stood up, ignoring the fact that all eyes were on her. Putting her hands into her jacket, she met the mayor's glare with her own icy one.

"In order for this scheme of yours to work, you're going to need the cooperation of a medical examiner. I refuse, and since I am the only one in this city, it looks like you're up shit creek without a paddle" Jones, Leah, and Drix looked to Ray, their eyes filled with hope that she had a plan to shut this whole mad plan down that went beyond just saying no.

Thrax however, was looking the sapphire blue cell he had somehow missed over with his piercing yellow eyes. Her silver, plasmas hair cascaded over the left side of her face and down past her shoulders in very tangled locks, her dark eyes framed by even darker glasses, betraying her no nonsense attitude and expression. But, as mature and curt as her expression and manners where, her clothes spoke about her other, more hidden, traits. Her black leather jacket, ripped graphic tee, multiple ear piercings, and sneakers betrayed her more loose, playful and cheeky side. An obvious punk. Amused, Thrax waited to see what this girl had over the mayor that could possibly keep him from his freedom.

"I do have ways of _convincing _you Miss Leucocytus" Sweetly threatened the mayor.

"I think _not_ Mayor Colonic" She replied just as sweetly "Both my parents are dead, and my only friends are already being threatened, so you have nothing to take away from me. And if you think that I am the kind of cell who has her mind changed just because her job, or her life, is threatened, well, let's just say my pride keeps me from working with scum and that's that" She said, her glare darting towards Thrax for a moment before returning to Colonic's smiling face.

"If that's all mayor, I think I will take my leave now. Drix, Jones, Leah, Thrax…" She waved good bye as she turned around and walked towards the main door of the office, once again ignoring the many eyes on her, specifically a pair of glowing, haunting, yellow eyes.

"You're right; I can't threaten you with any of that. As you said, your friends are already in trouble; your honor keeps your job and life from being usable and your family dead. But…" Rachel felt her feet stop, and her head glance back. Curse her unrelenting curiosity and all the trouble it got her into.

Colonic's face just kept smiling as he hopped off his desk. Working his way around the desk, he started shifting through the contents of one of its many drawers, looking for something in specific.

"But your parents' aren't just dead, Miss Rachel, they were murdered"

"I don't see how that makes a difference" She retorted as she came back to stand between the reclining Thrax and the stiff statue of Jones "Dead is dead"

"Yes," Agreed Colonic, who now had seemed to find what he was looking for "But what if I was to make a deal with you?" Lifting a piece of paper form the drawer, he promptly laid down on top his desk for Ray to see.

"You go along with this, and I will give you the security camera footage this snap shot came from, and thus, the identity of the man who killed your parents" All, except Thrax, were once again disgusted by the depths of which the mayor they elected had stooped too, but none more so than Ray herself.

Looking over the photo, she could see a blurry outline of a man and woman, their faces hidden by the collars of their jackets as they rushed through what looked to be like the city center, a little girl in pigtails between them. She remembered that day, the last day of her blissfully ignorant, happy life. And off to the corner of the photo, was the black coated figure that had ruined it all for her.

No simple words could describe her fury.

Without warning, Ray reached over the desk and grabbed the front of the mayor's shirt, pulling him roughly on to the desktop with surprising ease. Her scowling face inches near his calm one, Ray hissed out her words low so only he could hear them.

"Fine, you got me. I'll work with the virus, but know this. Even if you go through with your end of the bargain, and give me this information when we have Frank's criminals begging at our feet, I will still come after you, for holding this information from me. And if you dare think for one second that I don't got what it takes to commit deeds as horrible as that red virus could pull off, than you are wrong. Dead wrong" With that, she shoved him away from her, causing the mayor to fall into his chair, his smiling face for once faltering into a worried frown for the spiltest of seconds.

"I am a woman with a short temper, a sharp mind, and even sharper scalpel. Do try to remember that" Turning around, Rachel sat herself back down in the chair she once had been in, her scowl calming itself down to a sneer.

"Well how about that" Thrax whistled out, breaking the silence that ensued "It looks like I'm not the only devil the mayor made a deal with today" Rachel turned her face towards Thrax, meeting his unsettling, sick yellow eyes for the first time. Suppressing the third chill that wanted to run up her spine, Ray merely glared at the virus that was smirking at her.

"And don't you be forgetting it, Red"

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

Sorry that this chapter was shorter than the last, but the next one is going to be a lot longer than the first chapter to make up for it. Guess what, this chapter only took me one day to write and three days to gain enough courage to post! Hurray for improvement!

Hey, just a fyi, I know that in the movie, they made the mistake of Thrax's eyes being green at some parts, and yellow for others, so I would just like to clarify that for my story, they are yellow (yellow eyes are much creepier and match his coloration more in my opinion).

Oh, and Rachel's last name is the singular Latin word for white blood cell, pronounced 'Luke-oh-site-ous'.

See ya all soon, same time, same place, so, till then…

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Keep up the heat!

(BTW, I will try to make the quotes a regular thing. This quote, I am ashamed to say, came from Gossip Girl. Eternal shame becomes mine…)


	3. Chapter 3 Cozy Little Morgue

Chapter 3; Cozy Little Morgue:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

Thanks to CopperLovely (Once more, thanks again for the inspiration!), LuluCalliope, vixen1991 and MikaCheshire for their lovely reviews. You guys are awesome, and I mean it when I say your reviews make my day!

~o0o~

_Home isn't where the heart lives; it's where the soul rests_

Ray was startled awake from her cat nap by the jolt of the moving truck speeding over a bump. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Ray tried to force the drowsiness in her eyes away; she really needed to get to bed earlier. Then again, it's not like she could sleep after what had happened yesterday. After all of them, 'Frank's Finest', were unfortunately suppressed into saying that they would be a part of the mayor's crazy scheme, the mayor dropped the second bomb.

_"Good, now that all are agreed, let's get some details out of the way. Thrax, Jones, Drix, Miss Rachel, you all are to move into Frank's Wellness Hospital in the lower gut. Miss Leah is needed up here, so she will stay where she is. However you all need constant access to each other…"_

Gah, she could punch that man. Over, and over, and over and…

Anyway, it did make sense. With Thrax, it wasn't like they could meet up at the police station or get him an apartment; the cops and public knew his face too well. And this being a tippy top secret very few were privileged to be blackmailed into keeping, it was best to lay low. Ray was actually very familiar with the abandoned hospital, because, about three months ago, her whole forensics lab, from the corner's department, morgue, to the autopsy tables, had been moved there.

It was her new office. While the choice of moving the much needed medical examiners whole department into a dingy, old style hospital didn't make sense to Ray back then, it sure did now, as did the disappearance of all her employees. The mayor must have planned this thing since finding Thrax, and was just playing them all into preparing for his arrival. Punch him over, and over, and over, and over…

Speaking of arrivals, the cell that was driving the small moving truck she was riding shot gun in had turned the last corner, and the hospital came into view. Ray smiled at the sight of her work place, its gothic arched windows, grey stone walls, and stone figureheads always reminded her of some haunted mansion from a horror movie, and she liked her horror movies. It was no wonder this place had been shut down though.

The horse shoe shaped, four story building had no neighbors, ones that were occupied anyway, and was bordered by fifteen foot high, intimidating, spiked metal fence. Guessing that since her lab and office were in the right wing, the parts 'Franks Finest' were going to move into would be the main halls in the middle and the entire left wing. The driver parked in front of the building, and Rachel followed him out onto the sidewalk.

"Good afternoon Miss Rachel, how are you today?"

"As fine as can be I suppose Drix. You?" The cold pill came to stand beside Ray, his worldly possessions kept in a duffel bag slung across his right shoulder, giving her a half-smile.

"Well, I had an easy time packing. I got here early by bus from my apartment" Noticing that he didn't really answer her question, Ray let it drop.

In the awkward silence that followed the two of them watched the driver of the moving truck Ray had arrived on and his partner who had been following, start unloading her things. But the silence didn't last long. Engine roaring, radio blasting, Jones and his precious baby ripped down the empty road, screeching to a sudden halt a few feet from the moving truck.

"Please tell me that this skanky, castle Dracula of a dive, is not where we're supposed to live" Jones called out from his rolled down window. Ray and Drix nodded their heads solemnly, dashing what little hope Jones had.

"Alright, but if one of your corpses comes back to life and sucks my cytoplasm, I'm blaming you Ray" He said as he stepped out of his car and onto the sidewalk.

"Jones, I doubt even corpses would want anything to do with you. Here," She said as she followed Jones to the back of his car, "Let me help you with your things" Opening the trunk, Rachel's face fell in disbelief. And she thought the amount Drix had taken with him was impossibly small. Lifting the shoe box and small backpack out of the trunk, Ozzy tucked the very used items lovingly under his arm.

"No need Ray, I travel light"

"But can you live that way? We are going to be here for a long time, remember?" Both boys nodded their heads, of course they remembered. How could they forget the meeting that happened a little more than twenty four hours ago and changed their world? Ray rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. The mayor did say that he had supplied us all with furniture for our use. I just brought my own cause I don't want anything that his slimly hands might have come into contact with" A crooked smile graced her lips as she heard the chuckles of Jones and Drix, for once happy that the two fools were at least still themselves.

However, the smiles and laughter was stopped cold as a third car pulled up, this one from FPD. Stepping out from the backseat, Thrax stood before the trio, his stature dwarfing them all.

"So, this is where the finest of Frank comes to fester..." Thrax smirked as he popped the collar of his long, black jacket, looking over the building in front of him. Glad to be out of that orange jumpsuit and back in his black boots, loose pants, and grey turtle neck, Thrax lifted the shades from his eyes, placing them in a pocket, so he could look over the gang of goody-two-shoes better.

Jones was sporting his regular stupid face and varsity jacket, and the cold pill, well, for all Thrax knew, was dressed the same. Finally, his eyes settled on the woman, Rachel, between the two cops. Surprisingly, Thrax was able to recall her name, but she did after all, make quite the impression back at the mayor's office.

Feeling those piercing yellow eyes looking her up and down, Ray zipped up her leather jacket to guard her against the chill she felt, and stepped towards the virus, her left hand extended.

"Hello Mr. Thrax, I did not formally introduce myself yesterday, I am Dr. Rachel Leucocytus. I work with stiffs, slime, and forensics" Thrax just stood there for a moment, surprised by her boldness and spunk, but his expression soon turned into his classic smirk.

"Ain't you a fine looking cell, maybe living here won't be so bad after all" He replied as he extended his left hand to take hers, his eyes still darting up and down her body. As soon as their hands touched, Ray grasped the virus' firmly, and whipped out a measuring tape.

"Wow, thirteen inches, impressive" She breathed out amazed as she held Thrax's extended fore claw in one hand and measuring tape in the other. The forensics nerd inside her was practically cheering in excitement, thirteen inches. This guy had to be one of the baddest illnesses out there, no wonder he was close to being this town's doom. Not caring that the dangerous virus could see her rare, geeky smile, Ray let go of Thrax's hand, noticing how much warmer it had made her own on this cold autumn afternoon. The virus' smirk grew even wider.

"Well now baby, if you think that's impressive, you should see what I am capable of doing with it…" Taking his clawed hand, Thrax brought it near Rachel's face. Ray stiffened at the scorching sensation of his long talon tracing the outline of her cheek, leaving behind a trail of tingling skin as he brought it down her jaw, only to end at the collar of her jacket, right on her throat.

Glancing to her left, Ray tried to silently employ Jones and Drix for their help with her eyes, but unfortunately, Thrax had picked the moment those two were distracted, chatting with the cops that brought Thrax here, probably thinking that she was behind them. Great, the one time she actually needed them. Figures. Sensing that if she called out for help or tried to walk away, the virus would take it as a sign he won this little confrontation, Ray stood her ground, trying her best not to flinch under his gaze. Noticing the woman trying to suppress a shiver, Thrax smirked, and leaned down close.

"Cold baby? I think I can help with that…" He whispered to her. Ray was not certain whether the prickling that ran down her spine was caused by the virus' closeness, his piercing eyes, his possible innuendo, or a combination of all three. But no matter what the cause, she needed to stop this little game of cat and mouse. To his surprise, Thrax felt the sapphire tinted woman lean in closer to him, her eyes never lifting from his as she whispered low.

"Sorry Red, not your type. I'm not inflatable" With that she took two giant steps back to create room, yet was still close enough to let him know that she wasn't scared or creeped out by him in the least. At least, that's what she was pretending to be anyway. Thrax straightened back up, his smirking yellow eyes towering over her obsidian blues.

"Oh, baby, so rough" He purred as combed back his purple dreads that had fallen across his face with a clawed hand "I like it"

Ray rolled her eyes and folded her arms cross her chest. Great, now she wasn't just going to living in the same building with a known mass murderer, but a known mass murderer who was most likely a sex offender too. Could her day get any worse?

And with that, the sadistic sense of humor Life had came a knockin', and Ray heard a sickening crash of wood against concrete behind her.

"Careful with that!" She yelled at the movers, grabbing the attention of Jones and Drix who had just waved their fellow cops good bye. Her thick black boots clunking hard against the sidewalk, Ray stormed over to the refrigerator sized crate the two movers had dropped, noticing some cracks in the wooden frame.

"Your advertisement said you guys were movers, not breakers!"

"We're sorry ma'am, it's just, well, the box sort of…_growled_ at us" The older mover tried to explain. Ray's expression softened as she realized she let her temper get the better of her. Blaming it on the virus and his unwanted sexual advances, Ray inspected the crate, stroking it almost tenderly.

"Yeah, well, inside here is the most precious thing I own. It won't give you any more trouble, so if you could just bring it to the fourth floor in the left wing along with all my other things, I would appreciate it" The two men, their nerves now calmed from the woman's shouting, went about and did as she asked.

"Most precious huh?" Jones asked as he came alongside her, Drix staying behind to watch Thrax "So Ray, what's in the box?"

"This ain't show and tell Jones, and I have no intention of doing either" She said as she turned around to follow the two movers through the open front gate to what was going to be her new home.

o0o

"There, done at last!" Ray let out an exhausted sigh as she put away the last item from the last box, and allowed her tired body to sink into the leather couch she had brought with her. Even though she had taken every single thing she owned with her, it still wasn't enough to fill the entire floor she had to herself. Back when this place was first abandoned, demolition crews were planning on taking it down, and so started with the left wing, middle, and most of the right wing of the hospital by completely stripping away the walls of the rooms, leaving behind whole floors with countless windows, cold concrete floors, and no walls behind when their project was canceled thanks to the pervious mayor's ignorance of how an economy actually works.

Ray actually thought it was a pretty sweet set up, even though her stuff only took up about one third of space of the stretched out floor. She had her own floor, the top all to herself, and below, was a decked out gym, set up for 'Frank's Finest' to use by order Colonic. The second floor belonged to the guys, who were forced to room together since boss man had ordered them that Thrax should never, ever be alone.

Antibody bracelets aside, he was still dangerous, plus the mayor didn't trust Jones and Drix with an antibody activation device, knowing that they would use it instantly to rid themselves of the murderer he so desperately wanted to keep, so babysitting it was. And last but not least, the first floor had been turned into the biggest living/kitchen/dining/games room Ray had ever seen, but truthfully it was the only one she had ever seen too. Over ten couches, twenty lounge chairs, five tables with seats, and four TVs had been spaced out along the entire floor, along with a fully equipped kitchen that any restaurant worth their salt would be jealous of, as well as darts and a several pool tables. Good Frank, could they be any more spoiled?

The answer to that was a definite yes. For as much as the place had to offer, privacy was not really one of them. Sure, each floor had its own closed off bathroom installed, but all floors were connected by huge, black iron spiral staircase left over from the deconstruction project, and since spacious concrete walls echoed incredibly well, Ray could imagine that the boys could hear her every word, just like she was hearing theirs right now, two floors below her.

"Yo, move your ass Thrax, that's my bed! I claimed it!"

"Oh really Jones? Well, why don't you just come over here and make me?"

"You lookin' for a fight? Cause I can whoop your ass a second time if you really want me too, only this time, you won't be crawling out of any vat of alcohol!"

"Jones, Thrax, please. I am trying to connect the computers to the internet, would you mind discussing this somewhere else?"

"And what if I refuse, Golden-boy, you gonna try to cherry stank me again?"

"Hey! Watch the way you're talking to my partner!"

"Oh, for the love of Frank!" Ray shouted from the stairs that suspended themselves near the wall of the second floor, her face twitching in annoyance "Just whip them out and measure already!" Her voice echoed through the spacious room, filling the hospital with its blood curdling sound.

"Geez Ray…" Began Jones as he let go of the lamp he was about to bash into Thrax's skull, who in turn lowered the wooden chair he was about to break Ozzy's ribcage with, both men displaying excellent power of will.

"When did you turn into a moody psycho chick?" Having made her way down the stairs, Ray walked towards the group of men who were looking at her like she was a time bomb about to explode.

"Women are never moody, Jones, there are just some days that we are less inclined to put up with bullshit" She hissed out.

"Amen to that!" Shouted out Drix from his table that he had claimed to be his desk, bringing all attention to him.

"Oh, uh, sorry. It's just, the internet is hooked up"

Silence.

"…umm…yeah"

More silence plus rolling of the eyes.

From upstairs, there came a loud crash quickly followed then by a low, moaning yowl that echoed through all the floors of the building. As if Ray's shouting wasn't spine chilling enough for the three men, that deep, bestial growl certainly was enough to make them all stand up, looking everywhere for the source of the sound.

"What the hell was that?!" Exclaimed Jones. Ray's eyes widened in recognition.

"Oh crap, nice going! You guys woke up Darling!" Without explaining, the sapphire blue immunity cell made a break for the stairs, running as fast as her legs could carry her.

Curious to say the least, Jones and Drix chased after her, with Thrax strolling behind them out of boredom. Taking two steps at a time, Ray made quick work of the two flights of stairs and made her way back to her floor. To her relief, there was not a thing out of place or anything strange to be seen. All three men now caught up with her, they wandered around her new place, looking for the source of the possible intruder while she remained by the stairs.

"What did you mean by we woke up 'Darling'?" Drix finally asked after he and Jones couldn't find anything wrong, the both of them coming to stand beside Rachel.

"Yeah, how about it baby," Thrax interpreted just as Rachel was about to answer "You hiding your boy toy in here?" He asked as he made himself right at home on the leather couch that Ray had once been seated. A smirk graced his lips as he watched the now becoming familiar twitch of annoyance flicker across the young woman's face, relishing in the small enjoyment it gave him.

"You won't get a thing out of me" Ray replied curtly to all three men "I ain't saying any…thing…" She trailed off as she looked passed where Thrax was sitting, her eyes becoming wide in apprehension.

"Oh no, no, no. Darling, don't, no. I said no!" She shouted.

Noticing the looks of fear and shock that Jones and Golden-boy were now wearing, Thrax thought it in his best interest to look behind him. Coming up from behind the couch, stalking, sharp shoulders rolling in preparation to pounce, was a six legged, red eyed, spiked tail _thing_ with huge open jaws containing the whitest fangs the virus had ever seen.

"Darling don't you dare eat him! He probably tastes horrible and will just spoil your dinner" Scolded the calm doctor from the other side of short space that her furniture took up. The tiger sized beast ignored her words, and stalked its way closer till it was inches away from climbing on to the couch to join Thrax.

The virus jumped up and backed away carefully, watching the black skinned creature as it nimbly hopped on to the seat cushion he was just seated seconds before, its four eyes focused on him. Knowing that running would only provoke it, Thrax stood still, returning the fiery gaze with his yellowed one. The beast lowered its head in focus, its shoulders rolling, long tail swishing as it prepared to do what predators did best. His instincts flared by the low growl and the sudden flash of teeth and claw, Thrax prepared himself for a fight and rose his clawed hand.

"Darling if you dare rough-house with Thrax, you are going to be sleeping outside tonight mister!" Threatened Ray at the last, spilt second.

The creature's red eyes glanced over to her, a sad, whimper emitting from it as it hesitantly started lower the three paws that were near to slicing Thrax's skin with long black claws. But with a glance at the virus in front of him that was still prepared for a fight, the creature's instincts rose up, and so did its claws.

"I mean it Zane!"

The creature, apparently called Zane, whimpered one last time, but did as his owner commanded and finally lowered his paws. Thrax also lowered his hand, disbelief etched on his face as the creature almost seemed to smirk at him before it hopped off the couch, trotting his way closer to the others. Jones and Drix shuffled away as the six legged beast came right up to Ray, white acid dripping from his jaws leaving behind a little trail.

"Ah, Zane, now I'm gonna have to clean the rugs and mop!" Ray scolded as Zane came to sit right in front of her, his head reaching up to her belly. Jones eyes widened in bewilderment as he watched Zane let out another whimper, and look up at Ray with what he could only guess was the creature's attempt at cute puppy dog eyes. A genuine smile broke out on Ray's face, and she kneeled down to give her beloved pet a hug ear scratch combo.

"Aww, come here! Who's a good little virus? You are! Yes, you are! Are we the most cutest creature in this body? Yes we are…" She cooed as Zane smiled lazily, a low rumbling purr emitting from his chest as he leaned into Rachel's hand as she continued to scratch his sweet spots.

"Okay…" Jones finally spoke "I don't know what's scarier, the six legged freak from hell, or Ray baby-talking it" Now over his initial shock of seeing the creature and having it nearly shred his skin with claws that could rival his own, Thrax made his way back to the couch, the creature's attention instantly returning to him.

"Darling is not a freak from hell. The same, however, cannot be said of you Jones" Ray retorted as she stood back up to her full height, ignorant that said beast was leaving her side to stalk closer to Thrax, yellow eyes meeting red ones warily once more.

"Well then, what the hell is he?"

"He…he's…ZANE! What did I say about trying to eat Thrax?" Shouted Ray as she noticed that he was half way back to the couch and getting ready pounce on the red virus again. Like a child getting caught with his hand in a cookie jar right before dinner, Zane cringed at Ray's words, skulking his way back to her side. Thrax might have been imagining it, but just before the beast sat back down beside his owner, the creature gave him a look, a 'soon, soon' look.

"Hm, let me guess, this is your quote 'the most precious thing I own' from earlier, correct?" Inferred Drix, who was slowly starting to inch his way closer to Ray and Zane, encouraged at the fact it seemed the beast was only in the mood for stalking other viruses.

"Yeah. He's been by my side since I was a little girl. We've been through thick and thin together" Ray reminisced, her expression one of genuine sweetness and fondness as she stroked Zane's head, the creature simply purring.

Besides being forced out of her apartment to live under the same roof as a mass murderer, Ray was concerned over how she was gonna keep Zane, since leaving him at a local kennel was defiantly out of the question. She didn't really know what was going through her mind when she thought it a good idea to bring the big, scary, loveable rabies virus with her and expect that Jones and Drix would not notice. But, given that Zane was one of the few friends she had, she allowed herself the foolish hope that she could somehow make it all work out. Now, she was allowing herself the foolish hope that somehow, the two cops would find it in their hearts to let her keep him, or that she could threaten them into keeping quiet.

"That still doesn't answer the question about what the hell _it_ is though" Spoke Thrax from the couch, invading the woman's thoughts with his gratingly rough voice. Both Ray and Zane glared at Thrax, and it occurred to the virus that the look they had was eerily similar to each other's. None the less, Ray decided to answer, her voice recovering from its bout of sweetness to its regular cynical tone.

"Well, his origins were kind of the reason I haven't told anybody about him, apart from Leah of course. Ya see, um…Jones, you remember the time when Frank dropped a BLT in an alley way and tried to eat it anyway?" Jones, who was still staring at the hairless, black skinned animal like he still doubted its existence, looked up.

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago. I was nothing but a punk kid"

"Still are" Drix mumbled to himself as he dared reach out a hand to stroke the creature's head. To his surprise, Zane responded like any playful kitten would, and purred as the pill became more bold and scratched under his chin.

"Well, remember how a stray dog got a hold of it before Frank could pick it up?" Ray continued, trying to suppress the smile that Drix's overheard comment caused.

"Yeah…" Jones nodded, wondering where she was going with this. Thrax, now sure that, at least for the moment, the creature called Zane would keep to his owner's side, reclined further on the leather couch, pretending not to be interested in the conversation as he looked out on the many windows to his right.

"And how Frank tried to wrestle away the sandwich? And how the dog bit him? And how the dog showed signs of…rabies?" Jones and Drix's faces fell in shared confusion for a moment, but then realization slowly started to dawn on them.

"And how Frank had to get a rabies vaccine?" Ray pressed on quickly before the two cops could interrupt her "Well, Zane was in that vaccine"

"But, didn't they round up the vaccine mutts that came through? Why wasn't that thing impounded?" Jones asked, recalling the standard procedure for dealing with animal transferred diseases. And for the first time since he had known her, Jones saw a small, sheepish grin come across Ray's face.

"I found him, and took him in. He was just a harmless puppy, and animal control was just carting them off to the pound to be put down. I couldn't let them do that to him. He was just so cute…"

"So you thought you would just raise a rabid, blood thirsty virus by yourself?!"

"Does he look rabid to you?" Ray retorted as she gestured to Zane, who, as if on cue, gave Jones his best puppy-dog eyes as he continued to purr as Drix kept on patting his head affectionately.

"Not really" He finally admitted "So then, he's not actually contagious? Since he was in an immunization?"

Thrax rolled his eyes. Of course the creature was not contagious, that was the whole point of an immunization, so that the local white blood cells can learn how to take down weaker versions of diseases without the risk of being infected. A stab of annoyance pricked Thrax as he was reminded that the sad excuse of an immunity cell was the one that nearly killed him, and now was his babysitter.

"No, he's not, not deadly in a viral sense at any rate" Ray simply replied. A moment of silence ensued in which Jones continued to look over the red eyed creature, considering what should be done. Finally, he sighed, defeated by Zane's puppy face and Ray's threatening death glare.

"Fine. I guess it's alright that he's here. Who knows, he might come in handy" Once again, a rare sweet smile formed on Ray's face, only this time it was directed towards Jones.

"Thank you. And I promise, Zane won't eat anybody" Her eyes darted for a second towards the slumping shape of Thrax leaning back on the couch "Unless, you want him to…" Jones and Drix grinned at each other as Thrax glared back at them, not appreciating the threat.

Suddenly, a loud growl echoed through the spacious floor, only this time, it didn't come from Zane.

"By Frank, I'm starving!" Complained Ray as she folded her arms over her stomach, her hunger pain too intense for her to be embarrassed over it. She had been working since noon to get her new place set up without eating, and for the small immunity cell, that was too long.

"Well, the kitchen is unfortunately not completely ready to use. The stove still needs to be connected, but I suppose I could whip something up from just the ingredients in the fridge. Maybe a nice salad…" Drix pondered out loud to himself while Ray ignored him and reached into one of her jeans pocket, pulling out a black cell phone. Pressing the speed dial, she was soon greeted with a familiar voice.

"Ello, Sam's Pizza, can I help you?"

"Hi, Samuel, it's Ray"

"Ray! Long time no call! We were starting to worry that you had finally learned to cook, or died"

"Haha, look, I'm gonna need four plain cecilia, three amino and glucose deep dishes, and two ribosome specials. Deliver it to the morgue, would ya?" Ray listed, getting wide eyed looks from the two cops near her while Zane licked his lips with a long red tongue.

"Alright, that will be a total of fifty-seven bucks, would you like to put it all on your tab?" Asked Sam, unsurprised by the amount of food ordered by the small woman. A wicked smile grew on Ray's face as she sent a mischievous look towards Jones and Drix.

"Nah, the Andrew Aspleen is buying this round Sam. Be sure that he knows his generosity was very much appreciated, with my personal complements"

o0o

In less than thirty minutes, the pizza arrived, the delivery boy walking into the lobby of the coroner section of the hospital, being very familiar with the office and its sole employee. After thanking and tipping the boy, Ray slowly waddled her way back to the left wing of the hospital, Jones and Drix refusing to leave Thrax's side, but more specifically, come over to the 'land of the dead'. After a long and nearly unsuccessful trip back with all nine pizzas, Ray finally made it, and the two starving cops dove in.

"I fink we shou lay don som ruls" Jones said aloud after a couple of minutes, his mouth full of food.

"Jones, would you mind acting like an intelligent being for once, and sallow your food before you speak?" Drix asked as he wiped the fingers of his right hand on a napkin for the billionth time, finding it difficult to eat finger food when only one of your hands has fingers.

"I think we should lay down some rules. There, happy now?" Jones repeated once he had followed his friend's advice. Ray was barely listening to the conversation the two cops where having directly across the long dining table they sat. She was too engrossed in satisfying her famished stomach and tossing Zane whole slices of pizza, which the just as hungry pet caught expertly.

Not wanting the slovenly boys to eat on her floor, Ray demanded that they actually use the living/kitchen/dining/games room, nicknamed the scrounge lounge by Ray for reasons of sanity. Seated at one of the many tables that were stretched along the entire floor, Jones, Drix, Zane and Rachel enjoyed their fast food meal, with Thrax seated a ways from them all on another leather couch, gazing out a window at the still setting sun.

Ray, not having anything better to do besides actually pretend to listen to the conversation Jones and Drix were having under the presumption she was participating, took this opportunity to look at the virus that sat away, though still facing, them.

For all he had been through, he looked eerily calm, reclined as far back as the couch allowed him to, his legs half-heartedly crossed. The only sign the virus presented that he was not a statue, besides the slow rise and fall of his chest, was that the constant twitching of his right hand that rested on the arm of couch, clawed fingers trying to grasp at something that was not there. Ray studied the rhythm the movements the hand repeated, wondering what they were unconsciously searching for.

Her gaze finally managed to tear away from Thrax's hand to then settle on the grey turtle neck sweater covered torso that belonged to the virus, having taken his long jacket off. Back when she first saw him in the mayor's office, she guessed that the virus was very muscular and well-toned, but now out of that loose fitting orange jump suit and into a skin tight sweater, that guess was most defiantly confirmed.

Once again having to forcefully tear her eyes away, Ray's gaze drifted up finally to the virus' face. Pointed chin, muscularly set jaw, thick brows, cheek bones so sharp they looked like they could cut, and of course, golden-yellow eyes so piercing they seemed to stare into ones soul completed the look of the most intimidating, impressive, and only known specimen of El Muerte Rojo.

Allowing her eyes to dart over the virus once more, Rachel decided that given the many other virus', germs, and general scum she had come across in her life, Thrax was…one of the least ugliest she had ever seen. If anything, she was certain that at least some girls might find something alluring about the killer disease, girls with deep, disturbing psychological issues.

As if hearing the silent left handed compliment she gave him, Thrax looked away from the view of now set sun to meet her gaze, his yellow eyes betraying his contemplative disposition. That was soon replaced however, as the virus smirked at the white blood cell he caught staring, sending a wink her way. Ray didn't even try to hide the disturbed shudder that ran down her back or the gagging sound that came from her as she turned away to face Jones and Drix. For someone who was supposedly very good at heating things up, the virus sure had a talent for chilling her spine.

Thrax watched the sapphire blue immunity cell for a moment as she tossed another slice of pizza to her loyal freak before returning his gaze back to the window, too deep in thought to bother with her and her staring. He had been scheming how he was going to escape Frank with his life, a task turning out to be more and more difficult by the second. First off, the antibody bracelets; by themselves they presented a problem for the virus since it meant he couldn't use his infectious powers, but with the mayor's threat of the hidden remote controls, that problem was exponential.

Second, Jones. He was your basic idiotic cop who happened to get a break, but he was also a, admittedly, dedicated cop who possessed all the dumb luck in the world with a loyal sidekick. Again, another problem for the virus. And thirdly, his chain. As if placing a collar on his infectious powers and assigning Jones to be his personal babysitter wasn't bad enough, the mayor also had to confiscate Thrax's precious chain, an item that had been beside the virus for as long as he could remember. It felt unnatural for him to be without it, for his right hand to feel so empty with nothing to grasp. Several times he had caught his hand searching for it, and every time his fingers held nothing.

It was moments like those that tempted Thrax to horribly maim the first thing in sight, only to have to calm himself to settle with a snide comment or a small threat. The amount of patience it had taken the virus to survive this long without exacting his revenge or satisfying his anger on some innocent bystander was a quantity he did not, until recently, believe he possessed. And it had only been a little more than twenty four hours.

But then again, when it came to beating his record, the virus was always good at giving his all into attaining it.

Thrax smirked as it all started to become a little clearer to him, an idea forming in his mind. To escape, that would be his new record. He would make himself become strong enough overcome the antibodies inside him, to build up an immunity, thus eradicating the threat of both the bracelets and the hidden remotes the mayor entrusted to others. Though Thrax had never seen it first hand, he had heard stories of viruses, bacteria, and even fungal infections building up immunities to medications such as antibiotics and penicillin. So surely he, El Muerte Rojo, could do the same for antibodies.

And then for the second problem, again, Jones. Looking over at said immunity cell and his partner as the two continued to discuss the arrangement of the shifts for watching over their prisoner, the smirk on the virus' face grew wider. To say that Jones was the least of his problems would be giving the cell too much credit, then again, that confounded dumb luck was something to reckon with. But, a simple slit of a couple of throats in the middle of the night could easily take care of the 'problem' when Thrax no longer needed them.

For the moment though, it was best for the virus to lay low on their suspicion radar, and continue to let the cops think that he was satisfied with stooping to their level in petty fights and tit for tats while secretly visualizing their murders. Attaining his chain however, that was going to take some investigating. Thrax could simply start with playing along with the mayor's scheme and seeing what information came his way about its whereabouts, or he could take the more active approach and-

"Hey, Red, you hungry or what?" Called out a husky feminine voice, causing the virus to snap harshly back into reality from his thoughts. Looking to his right, Thrax saw Rachel standing beside him, a pizza box in her hands, and the six-legged freak at her heels.

"Aw, are you worried about me baby? I'm touched…" Ray rolled her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time as she set down the pizza box on the coffee table in front of the virus, barely able to resist the strong urge to throw at the virus' smirking face.

"Eat it or don't eat it, I couldn't care less. However, since you are the reason I'm living under the same roof with three assholes, and Zane, you might as well eat so you can live to suffer alongside me" She replied, brutal honesty seeping through her words.

The only reason she came over was that Jones and Drix were driving her crazy with their discussion, both men desperately trying to get her to side with one of them on the matter of laundry duty. That, and the fact that Thrax's contemplative and quiet mood was arousing her suspicion and she wanted to break it up. As her father once told her, never trust a quiet virus, it usually means their planning to kill you soon.

"You know baby, that attitude of yours could get you into trouble one day. Didn't your mama ever teach you that?" Amusedly replied Thrax as he watched Rachel sit herself down on a corner of the coffee table while he opened up the box of pizza. With the movement from the virus being so close to his master, Zane tensed up and let out a little warning growl at the virus, who in turned tensed up himself, yellow eyes once more clashing with red.

"Yeah, and then she taught me the five most vulnerable areas I should strike on a man's body, your point?" Ray answered as she stroked Zane's head, calming his low growl to a playful purr as he decided to let the virus win this round. Hearing a chuckle, she looked up to see Thrax lean himself back against the couch, still smirking.

"Well how about you and I continue in the next lesson baby…the five most vulnerable areas on a woman's body" Thrax's retort was immediately rewarded with the familiar twitch of annoyance across the woman's face. Deciding he rather liked the way it looked on her as well as the momentarily pleasant entertainment it provided, Thrax planned on making it his new hobby, besides driving Jones and Golden-boy up the wall of course. Until he conquered the antibodies inside him, found his chain, and made every single cell in this body pay, it would have to be the little things that would keep this virus going.

Ray, though she was annoyed and disgusted beyond belief at the virus' innuendo, was pleasantly surprised at the lack of spine chilling he gave her this time around. Maybe it was because she was becoming used to the virus' innuendos and soul-piercing yellow eyes, or that she had her huge pet that would willingly eat him on her command beside her. Probably both. Congratulating herself for the feat none the less, Ray stood up to leave the virus to eat, but not without one last comment.

"I just got one question for you Red, just what kinda disease do you think you are?" As a forensic pathologist, it was important to gather information on the subject of the criminal mind whenever possible, and asking a man what he thinks of himself will tell you more about his insecurities than anything else, especially when unexpectedly asked. Besides, Ray knew when she was being mocked, but more importantly she also knew a thing or two about getting even, courtesy of the idiots she knew back in high school. Whatever answer the virus gave her, she would be sure to find a way to use it to her advantage.

Thrax's smirk grew wider than Ray ever thought possible until it morphed into a disturbing, toothy grin. It was the kind of grin a cat would give to a mouse knowing it was going to be the last thing it ever saw before it met a gruesome death. And as his yellow eyes penetrated into hers, she knew he was going to make her regret asking her question which he seemed all too ready to answer.

"Deadly"

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

Ah, another chapter done. As I sit here, in my own room chillin, wearing my Elvis Presley Santa hat, munching pumpkin pie and writing up my story, I see that life is good. Thank you to all my readers and reviewers, and have a happy Thanksgiving!

Here is a list of songs that match Thrax's personality and really set the mood for reading a story about him. I should know, these songs helped put me in the mood to write. Most of the songs on this list were from a list created by SurfON from her 'Thrax's ipod' story. Check it out, its adorable:

Disease / Matchbox Twenty

Disturbia / Rihanna

Toxic / Britney Spears

E.T. / Katy Perry

Hot in Here / Nelly

Hey Baby / Pitbull

Contagious / Acceptance

Poison / Groove Coverage

Fire Burning / Sean Kingston

Play With Fire / Hilary Duff

Strange boy / Kerli

Down With the Sickness / Disturbed

Zydrate Anatomy / Repo! The Genetic Opera

Contagious/ Avril Lavinge

Face to Face/ Siouxsie & the Banshees

Fever/ Peggy Lee

Cool Daddy Cool/ Kid Rock

Break You Off/ Uncle Kracker

K, see ya all soon, maybe same time, defiantly same place, so, till then…

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Keep up the heat!


	4. Chapter 4 Webs and Control

Chapter 4; Webs and Control:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

**Heya guys!** You know how in the last chapter I gave you all a list of songs that go with the story nicely? Well, if you could give the song **'Poison' by Groove Coverage** a listen to, you would be helping yourselves since I have a character dance to this song later in this chapter. I also changed the lyrics to the first line to fit more with Thrax, hope you like.

Once again, thank you all reviews for your lovely comments, hope you like this chapter as well, will be giving the preview for chapter 5 soon...

Well, another long chapter folks, I think I'm just gonna give up on having a chapter length maximum, I just can't control myself. Enjoy!

~o0o~

_Secret deals and schemes, they're like spider webs, invisible and harmless to most, but to the innocent fly they catch, deadly_

Three days. Seventy-two hours. Four thousand three hundred and twenty minutes. That's how long Thrax had been living in the abandoned hospital now; his infectious powers restrained, Jones as his personal babysitter, and himself nearly bored to death. Every painfully tedious and aggravating second seemed to crawl past the virus, made longer still by the company he had no choice but to keep.

"Drix, what do ya think you're doing? Competing for house wife of the year?" Asked Jones as he sat himself on a stool by the island counter in the kitchen section of the so named 'scrounge lounge'.

"What are you talking about Jones?" Questioned the cold pill as he flipped another pancake before he moved on to stir the scramble eggs, moving about the kitchen in an expertly manner.

"What I'm talking about is your just one apron away from being Martha Stewart's ugly sister. Ease up on the spread man!" Thrax cringed at the crescendo of the cops' argument as the cold pill huffed over how he was at least making use of his morning rather than wasting it away in bed like he was. Three days of this, it was enough to make anyone want to kill, let alone a mass murder who had no problem with homicide in the first place. If Thrax thought it took him expert power of control to curb his violent tendencies before he moved in dumb and dumber, it had grown exponentially. Certainly the luxury of having twenty four access to the gym on the third floor as well as steaming sauna that had been recently installed helped ease the tension the virus felt, but then again so would spilling Jones' cytoplasm all over the floor…

Thrax shook his head. No, patience, you lasted this far and just imagine how much sweeter killing the cell and every last living thing in this body is going to be once it is all over, thought the virus as he tried to ignore the increasing volume of Jones' voice. Taking another swig of his coffee, Thrax leaned back further on the leather couch he had come to claim as his own, absent mindedly wishing for something to at least allow him to enjoy his boring morning quietly.

Never had the phrase 'be careful what you wish for cause you just might get it' been more aptly appropriate.

Slippers shuffling, sweat pants billowing, arms crossed over chest and face twisted into a squinting glare came Rachel, Zane following after her as she made her way down the stairs. The three men hardly noticed her presence until she had made her way into the kitchen section of the scrounge lounge, surprising both Jones and Drix.

"Yikes Ray! What happened to you? You look like one of your corpses got a hold of you and recruited you as a fellow member of the walkin dead!" Exclaimed Jones as he wondered if the sapphire blue immunity cell could even see what with her hair a virtual torrent of tangled locks that fell over her face, covering her sleep deprived eyes.

"Morning Miss Rachel, I assume the autopsies had taken you longer than expected to complete last night? Well, you know what they say, people can't always be dropping like-"

"If either of you two say another word, I will personally bash this cup of coffee into your brains" Growled out Ray as she took a huge swig from said mug of coffee, downing it all in one gulp. To say that she had a splitting headache from staying up all night squinting at microscopes and body parts would be putting it gently, and hearing the two cops chatter was not helping it or her regular morning temper by any means.

"Well now, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, and you have yet to even get your daily intake of bitch flakes in-"

From the other side of the floor, Thrax grinned slightly as he listened to Jones exclaim in surprise as he barely dodged a well-aimed piece of glassware and strain to catch it before it shattered against the wall. If there was one remotely entertaining thing about the morning routine of Jones and Drix arguing like an old married couple, it was Ray coming down to violently break them up before heading over to work on the others side of the hospital. Hearing slippers shuffling near to where he was seated, Thrax turned to watch Ray make her way over to a lounge chair and slump herself into it.

"I…I take it last night was rough?" Timidly asked Drix as he followed Zane over to where Ray was sitting, a frying pan by his side in case she was hiding another mug on her person. Rachel couldn't even manage an exasperated roll of her eyes she was so put out, but she decided to answer the cold pill none the less.

"Yeah, you could say that. You remember the double germicide that happened the morning the mayor met with us? Well, the murderer got a lot better at killing. A lot better" Around six pm yesterday she got a call from Andrew Aspleen that there had been a mass slaughter in the left pinkie toe district and that she should come over and clean up. After getting over the disturbing shock that Andrew was going to be the liaison for the team to the FPD and Colonic, she resentfully complied, secretly grateful to the ass of a cell for giving her the chance to get out of the hospital. But that minute amount of gratefulness was instantly washed away when she arrived at the crime scene. Five bodies, five germ and bacterial bodies were strewn together in a half-hazardous pile of dismembered anatomy, and Ray had to bag, clean, move, and examine them all with no assistance whatsoever. And on top of that, Andrew stayed for the whole initial investigation, taunting and teasing her from beyond the police tape with his presence. Frank, how she hated that man.

"I see, and what else do you make of it so far?" Inquired Drix as he scooted further away from where Thrax was seated, not liking how close he had accidentally gotten to the virus. Rachel was just about to shout at the cold pill for asking such a mundane question, but then stopped herself when she remembered he had not been there. Since Thrax could not be without at least Drix or Jones by his side at all times, and on top of that was not allowed to be seen in public yet, the two cops were not allowed to come onto an active crime scene, even one involved in the case they were assigned, and instead have to wait until it was already searched and void of FPD employees before they could do their own investigation. This was by order of that rapidly becoming unpopular mayor of theirs recently when Jones called to ask him just when exactly they would be fulfilling their purpose as 'Frank's Finest', to which he only replied it would be soon.

"The unsub is defiantly a male, that much is certain now. The upper body strength needed to reduce the bodies to the state they were in points to that. He's also got more careless as well, not as in his work is any more sloppy, but this time he not only took down five germs and bacteria by himself, but allowed them a chance to fight against him, which of course, they obviously lost" Ray finally replied to Drix, the corner of her eye detecting Jones coming up alongside him, listening intently. Zane, who scooted up to her side, also seemed to be listening in, but his eyes were focused on the virus that had grown used to ignoring his hungry glares.

"And even though the unsub killed them and mutilated their bodies in the same way as he did before, this time he…took, a couple of things" Jones and Drix shared a concerned glance with each other, not liking the tone Ray's voice turned.

"By a couple of things you mean…"

"Organs? Yeah" Ray finished for the cold pill who was reluctant to say the rest of the sentence aloud. Ray noticed an eye brow of Thrax's raise up in interest as he turned to fully look at the small group that had gathered at his right. This somewhat surprised Ray, normally the virus ignored whatever chatter was around him and would just continue to stare out a window or close his eyes. But then again, if she nearly jumped up at the opportunity to get out of this hospital even if it meant doing so under the command of Andrew, she could imagine a virus used to roaming freely would be somewhat interested in the goings on of the outside world, especially if it involved murder.

"I told you this guy was a sick psycho" Said Jones as he leaned a casual hand against the back of the chair Ray was slumping in, but removed it quickly when she glared at him.

"So, why do you think he took the organs anyway Ray?" Asked Jones after a moment. Rachel thought over the question for a minute when something struck her. Ozzy shouldn't be asking her this question, nor should she be the one to answer it. With a grin, she turned her eyes to meet those belonging to the virus, momentarily surprised to see them already looking in her direction.

"First off Jones, need I remind you that I am not a cop? Second, why don't you ask Red here? That is the reason Colonic wanted him around, to give us insight into the criminally inclined mind and all its twisted habits" The two cops stiffened at the logic of Ray's statement as the virus' usually permanent sneer he had when they were around turned into a smirk, obviously happy at the prospect of Jones asking him for anything. Ray personally couldn't care less about either reaction, she just wanted someone besides her pulling their own weight, plus her headache had reached a painfully new height what with all this chatter.

"Uh, well…I guess that's…true. Yo, tall, dark, red and ugly! Whatca got to say?" Jones finally asked Thrax once he had steeled his pride. The virus' smirk flickered for a bit into a fuming sneer, but then he corrected himself.

"You ever hear of transduction or transformation Jones?" Thrax almost growled out, his tone condescending. The slight bewildered look on the immunity cell's face told the virus the answer was a defiant no.

"It's when bacteria, fungi, or virus' gain new DNA by either being infected by each other, transformation, or just picking up stray pieces of DNA from the environment, transduction. They then assimilate the DNA within themselves by ingesting it and it becomes a part of them, giving them traits that belonged previous owner" Ray answered for Thrax, hoping her translation was simple enough for Jones.

"So this guy, he's stealing the organs of other germs and bacteria to gain their DNA forcefully, to get tougher?" Ray nodded her head while Thrax rolled his eyes and turned back to face the window he was looking out before everyone came over, becoming uninterested in watching the wheels in Jones head slowly start to turn. While he liked to see the immunity cell at a loss, the tension of having his hated enemy near him but untouchable thanks to the antibodies was almost too much for the virus to bear.

"So then, that means he's…eating their organs?" There was another nod from Ray, who secretly smiled sympathetically at the shared disturbed reaction of Jones and Drix. Though the two harden cops where knowledgeable and brave in their own way, there were many dark things they had yet to learn about the viral world that only a few cells, like Ray, were cursed to know. Steeling his troubled expression into a look of command, as if he made up his mind about something, Jones turned towards Thrax.

"How often does a bacteria and funi-funga, whatever, do this? Why does he do it?" Sensing the questions were been directed to him, Thrax turned to face Jones, momentarily considering not answering him this time. No, if he wanted Jones and Golden-Boy to grow comfortable enough around him to possibly let some information he would be needing slip out, he better humor the immunity cell, as much as it pained him. And it pained him, a lot.

"Not often, in fact, this might be the first time I have personally heard about it happening. As to why, it's because this guy is weak, or thinks he is"

"But he was able to take down seven germs and bacteria by himself, how can he think he was weak?" Asked Drix. Thrax took one last sip from his now cold cup of coffee before setting it down on the coffee table in front of him, once more turning to face who addressed him, his voice betraying his annoyance over the barrage of questions. This was the most the cops had spoken to him since their imprisonment in the hospital, and Thrax was not thrilled at the change of habit.

"How the hell should I know? All I know is, the few times I have heard germs doing this, it's usually because they were nothing but common colds or mild fevers that wanted to be taken seriously, but still ended up falling flat because they didn't know how to handle the abilities they stole" Jones was taken aback by Thrax choice of the word 'stole' for a moment. His tone of voice gave the impression that he was not fond of the idea, as if it was something that he would never be caught doing. If Thrax thought it below himself to steal powers from fellow germs and basically use the viral world's equivalent of steroids, then maybe there was some sort of…_honor_…to be found inside the virus? Shaking the disturbing notion out of his head, Jones concentrated on what to do next. Straightening himself, Jones reined in the attention of the others.

"Alright, I think it's time we finally got our lazy butts moving and into the game. I'm sick and tired of waiting for the mayor to give us an order; we're going to visit the crime scene. Drix, give that Andrew guy a call and tell him what we're up to so he can meet us there, I want to talk to him. Thrax, grab your coat and something to hide that ugly mug of yours, you're coming with. Ray, could you go over the bodies once more? I feel that there's more than meets the eye about this unsub that can be linked to the way he attacks" Rachel was slightly shocked by the authority and certainty Jones' tone of voice took as he spoke. But then she reminded herself that he was the, for lack of a better term, savior of Frank and a good cop to boot, so it was only natural he would have some leadership qualities to him. Though she would never to admit it to the immunity cell, hell, admitting this to herself was painfully embarrassing enough.

"On it Jones. Should I have him arrange transportation for us?" Asked Drix as he took out a cell phone from Frank knows where. Jones shook his head, a cocky grin spreading across his face.

"Nah. I prefer to arrive in style"

o0o

It didn't take long for Drix to call Andrew Aspleen and explain that with or without the mayor's orders, they were going to the crime scene he invited Ray to. By the way Drix reported what Andrew told him, the brain cell seemed to find it comical that they decided to defy the mayor's orders to stay put, but complied none the less. It seemed to Jones that they had almost been expecting this of him, but then again, his trouble with authority was no secret to anyone.

The ambulance Jones found conveniently lounging about in the hospital's private garage took a sharp turn, causing the virus who occupied the back to grip tighter to the handle at his right, muttering curses meant for the damned cop. Though he was glad to get out of the abandoned hospital he had been literally trapped in for the past three days, it twisted his insides that it was under Jones' orders. Or maybe his insides were twisting because the same immunity cell didn't know how to drive under sixty.

Finally, after the many twists and turns it took to get from the lower gut where the hospital was to the left pinkie toe, they arrived. Stopping the outdated ambulance abruptly on the edge of the police tape that still bordered the large storage house the murder took place, Jones leapt out, his shades shielding his eyes from the late morning light.

"Jones, how…pleasant it is to see you again, though I did not think it would be so soon, seeing as how your orders where to wait" Andrew greeted as he dusted off the small debris Jones' half-hazardous parking had kicked up. Upon seeing Drix get out of the passenger's seat of the ambulance and Thrax the back, Jones noticed the brain cell take Thrax's presence in his stride. In fact, the cell looked almost intrigued to be seeing the almost successful slayer of Frank.

"Pleasant? Huh, I can't say the same about you Drew, but I'm just so gosh darn flattered that you are!" Jones replied sardonically as he pushed his way past the suit and onto the crime scene, sensing the others following him, even Thrax. Jones really had to hand it to the mayor, he really knew how to make the virus perform his end of the deal, mainly that he would not try to run away or slaughter anyone mercilessly on pain of antibiotic ensued death, and so far, so good. Now, to try to make a better offer to the virus…but first, other matters.

"I think I will have a talk with the mayor about procuring a more suitable, not to mention more subtle, vehicle for you all to use" Andrew said as if he didn't hear Jones speak at all as he walked beside him. Jones let a small victory grin spread on his face for a second before he wiped it off. The others, especially Ray, might not know it, but Jones actually had something along the line of a plan going through his head. First, was to get a vehicle for them all to use, since obviously he wasn't letting the virus get near enough to touch his precious baby. Next, well, next was to get some cases solved, to do what the crazy mayor wanted them to do but for some reason ordered them to wait. But in between that, he needed to a have a little chat with a couple of annoyances.

"That would be great Drewey, try to get something in blue, would ya? Oh, and also, you better talk to your boss about us. I am getting kinda of sick of being out of the loop and uninformed, not to mention bored from just sitting around doing nothin" Finally walking through the huge loading doors of the storage building that was open, Jones and the others that were following him arrived at another taped off section, where the area that the bodies that Ray had been talking about had been found the day before. She was right, it had been a mess, the pool of long dried blood and odd bits of flesh were almost the size of a half a tennis court, turning the dirt floor a disturbing shade of green. It still took him by surprise that anyone, even someone like Ray, could ever want to have the job of being the one to examine such revulsion up close.

"Is that all you wanted? I think I can manage all that, so there was no need for us to meet essentially" Andrew complained as he became somewhat uncomfortable of his proximity towards the bloodied area he had followed Jones to.

"Yeah, you do that. But one last thing before you go Drew" The brain cell looked at the light blue immunity cell, their eyes locking "I would like you not to bother Ray anymore; it seems to put her in a bad mood for some reason. And, oh, if you think that you have any rank over us, you can forget it. I'll gonna be the one callin' the shots, and that includes when we visit a crime scene, got it?" The right hand man of the mayor smiled, obviously amused by the cop's notion that he really had any control over what was being done here. Oh well, would did it matter if he did let the immunity cell think he had the tiniest bit of influence? It would only serve to fuel the team's purpose in the end.

"Very well Jones, if that is all you want, I'll see that it gets done. As for Ray, can I help it if I just happen to make her skin crawl?" With a mockingly polite grin, the brain cell left the little party of misfits to their own devices, leaving the scene in the chauffeured limo he had arrived in. Jones in that moment admired Rachel, the fact the she had so far managed not to kill the brain cell even he was also starting to harbor a lot of resent for, made her eligible for saint hood in his book.

"Mmh, it does appear that Ray was right, the unsub did allow the victims to fight back, there's bullet casings everywhere" Mused Drix aloud from behind Jones. Turning to fall back to where his friend and the virus had stopped, Jones decided it was time to check off the last item on his to do list for the day.

"It would help if we knew for certain the germs were fighting just the unsub and not each other, that way we can for sure rule out gang violence. How about you go around and do what you do best Drix?" Asked Jones, obviously inferring about the pill's greater skills in collecting evidence and analyzing crime scenes in comparison to his. Nodding when he saw that Ozzy had taken a stand near Thrax, taking over 'virus sitting' to give his buddy a break, Drix wandered off closer to the scene of death to see what he could dig up.

Now alone, the immunity cell and red virus looked at one another. This was probably closest they had been to each other in the three days they had been living under the same roof, occupying the same rooms. Both knew they were completely disgusted with the other, and so pretty much had avoided every opportunity of speaking directly to each other, except of course when an opportunity to mock or threaten presented itself. There was also the tension they felt being around each other, being close enough to finish their hated enemy off, yet knowing that if they did, what mattered most to them would be taken away forever.

"What is it you want Jones?" Thrax finally asked out loud, removing his shades to look the immunity cell straight in the eyes. From the way the cell kept glaring at him, he could tell that Jones' had something on his mind, and whether Thrax wanted to hear it or not, he was going to say it.

"How long you gonna play Mr. Disinterested Psychopath?" The questions took the virus, admittedly, by surprise. But it was not long before a smirk grew on the Thrax's face. He should have known the cell would have been watching him just as he was, and obviously Jones had clued into a couple of things. Thrax had to give him credit this round and actually for once felt like telling the truth, if just to tease.

"As long as it takes to get what I want"

"And what you want is your chain, right?" Thrax didn't answer, merely folded his arms across his chest, still smirking down at the immunity cell. Jones took that as a definite yes.

"And then you plan on somehow getting over the antibody problem, and killing us all" Thrax noticed this last bit from Jones was not a question, but a statement.

"So whatca you gonna do about it, Jones?" Thrax asked, giving Jones the not too subtle hint that his inclinations were right. The two enemies sized themselves up in front of one another, their glares clashing. Then Jones himself smirked as he removed his own sunglasses.

"I want to make a deal with you" Again, the virus was taken by surprise, and this time, he didn't even try to hide it as he laughed, the amusement of this scenario too much for Thrax to take.

"What? You must be joking Jones"

"I'm not" Jones replied, his smirk turning down into a disgusted sneer, though it was not directed at Thrax. He imagined this sickening feeling that was turning his stomach sour might have been what the mayor felt when he was making a deal with Thrax not four days ago, that is, if the mayor still had any feeling within him. He knew that what he was doing was against everything he believed in, but he needed to do this. If his inclinations were correct, than everything that mattered to him was in danger, but in the end, between being faithful to his beliefs or keeping his loved ones safe, he would choose the latter every time, even if it meant dragging himself further into the web of lies and secrets the mayor had already started to weave for them. The virus studied the cell standing in front of him, reading into his troubled, but still sincere expression.

"Alright, I'm game. What do you got up your sleeve that you think I want?" He finally asked. With a sigh, Jones began to reveal to his hated foe all that he had been planning right under his friends for past couple of days.

"I'll help you get your chain back, in exchange for your corporation in solving crimes and help in finding out the mayor's motive" The phrase 'third times the charm' went through the virus' mind as he managed to contain his surprise, and just kept on smirking, his mind already coming up with questions.

"Mayor's motive? I think his motive was pretty clear back at his office. Did you not get the subtle hint that he wants Frank cleaned up? Or do you need to have it shoved down your throat some more?"

"That's not it" Jones told the virus, his patience with the infection in his life nearing its end "It can't be it. I just got this…this feeling that there is more to this whole thing than what meets the eye, besides wanting to get Frank healthy. The black mail for instance, he never seemed like the kind of cell that would do that…"

"But he did. Are you really willing to trade my chain for just my help on cases? I am already doing that as a part of the mayor's deal with me" Said Thrax, moving on to the next question he had. If Jones wanted to sell out to him for such low terms, who was he to stop him? However, Thrax would be damned if he didn't question the cell's reasoning. Pulled out of his thoughts, Jones looked back up at the much taller virus, matching his sneer.

"What deal? The mayor has you by the balls Thrax, you got no choice but to do as he says, or else bye-bye cruel world" The virus' eyes widen in anger over not only Jones' words, but at how regrettably true they were. However, Thrax tactfully calmed himself down.

"In my deal, you help, really help, with cases until we find out what's behind this whole thing, and in exchange, I will get your chain back" Jones added.

"So then you know where it is?"

"No, but I know that I can find out where it is faster than you can" Thrax considered all that the cell had just put before him. True, as a cop, Jones had better connections to the cells that would know where his chain was, and in exchange for only helping find out why the mayor made a bargain with him, that would be easy. Too easy.

"What makes you think I would trust you enough to go through with your end of this bargain? Besides, the mayor has promised me my chain in exchange for a few tricks, why is your deal so special?" Jones face went serious, and he took a deep breath to steady himself; this was it, the deal breaker.

"The mayor, he did promise that he would give the chain back, but, only on the term that you leave the body, and not harm single cell. Me, you help me find his reason for doing all this, and I will not only get your chain back faster for you, but I will fight you" Thrax's eyebrows rose in disbelief, unsure of his meaning.

"I will fight you to the death, I will give you a chance to kill me before you leave this body for good" Jones clarified, his voice certain and determined.

"You really think that killing you matters enough to me to back stab the cell who's offering me a sure thing?" Thrax questioned, but Jones could see a disturbingly delighted grin spreading across his face already.

"I don't think, I know it" The grin was now splitting the virus' face, now this was a deal he could sink his teeth into. However, it was not yet tempting enough to actually bit down on.

"Add you and pill getting off my back every couple of hours, and then you got a deal" Said Thrax, who calmed down his grin to a smirk. Jones considered this addition to the bargain, and then too smirked.

"Done; so long as you stay out of trouble, otherwise this whole thing is off" Standing in front of each other, eyes locked, smirks shared, the pair of enemies hesitantly shook on it, blue clashing against red.

"Deal"

"Deal"

"Looking forward to you fulfilling your end of the bargain Jones, especially the part where you die" Thrax said tauntingly before he turned away from the immunity cell to reflect on all that had just happened. Wiping his right hand on his jacket, Jones to turned away to go join Drix.

"Don't count on it Thrax; you will, after all, be fighting me. And I refuse to lose…"

o0o

"B-but Jones! Our orders were to keep a constant eye on the virus, we can't just let him-"

"Our orders were to make sure that he stays out of trouble, and so far he has, so what's the harm in letting him wander about the hospital for a bit? Besides, if he does cause trouble, I can just shoot him"

"But Jones-"

"Look, I don't know about you Drix, but I am sick and tired of having to babysit Thrax all the time. I want a little break, and I know you do to! You haven't even cracked open a book since we've been here and-"

Thrax didn't stay for the rest of the conversation Jones and his friend were having over allowing him to wander about the hospital, leaving the two alone by exiting through the arch way that led to the middle section of the building. The instant they had arrived back at the hospital after spending over two hours searching and investigating the storage house, Thrax decided to take advantage of Jones' bargain, prompted to leave not only because he wanted to be alone, but also because of a certain rabid 'Darling' sleeping on a couch, unattended by owner. But of course, Jones' misinformed friend protested.

It took a few moments, but soon the voices of the cops died down, and the only thing to be heard by the virus was his own footsteps.

Utter silence, how he missed it.

Jones would make good on his end of the bargain, and would manage to convince his friend that would be fine to let Thrax wander alone every once in a while, for their sanity as well as his own. Thrax was certain of that part, however, the part about his chain, was uncertain. But, for only the price of having to help Jones figure out the mystery only he saw, and with the bonus of having an 'honorable final duel' with the cell before he left was too tempting to not take.

Too tempting to let the cell think he wouldn't stab him in the back like he was planning on their mayor already. Let the cop think that once I got my chain, whether with his help or not, that I'll be satisfied with only killing him, thought Thrax. I will have my chance at finishing off this body, once I have my chain, once I kill Jones and his friends, once I overcome the antibod-

Thrax stopped in his tracks. The antibodies. So far, everything from getting a sucker to do the heavy lifting when it came to finding his chain to getting private time arranged had gone better than the virus thought it would thanks to Jones. But the progress of getting over the antibodies, was not. Every opportunity he got, Thrax tried to summon his infectious powers, and every time he couldn't last long enough to even feel his hand become warm. Seems that after the first trial, the antibodies responded faster and faster to Thrax's powers, and his resistance to the cold he felt inside himself grew shorter and shorter. It frustrated the virus to no end, to be denied the part of him that made him all he was, he felt like a dog muzzled, humiliated with the indignity of being thought tamed by those who placed it on him.

A cold, cruel sneer crossed Thrax's face as he forced himself to keep on walking, encouraged by the thought that he would, no matter what, overcome this. He was after all, El Muerte Rojo, the Red Death.

Lost in his thoughts of revenge and schemes to get his chain back, Thrax soon found himself in a part of the hospital he had never been to before. Walking down the empty hall way whose only source of light was the few and far between windows, Thrax spotted an archway in front of him, thinking it most likely lead to the garage Jones found the tin bucket they used to visit the crime scene. Curiosity and boredom getting the best of him, Thrax stepped through the large archway, following the hall as it turned him down to the right. Once more the virus allowed himself to become lost in his thoughts he had not been able to be alone with for a long time now.

**_Your cruel desire, your blood like fire_**

**_One look could kill my pain, your thrill_**

Thrax was pulled out of the labyrinth that was his thoughts, suddenly aware that somewhere in front of him, music was playing. Soon a fast, techno beat with a pulsating pound to it started after the woman sang the first two lines of a song that sounded familiar to Thrax; maybe he heard it at a club one time. Tempted to find out where the music was coming from exactly, the virus followed the sound.

**_I wanna love you but I better not touch_**

**_I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop_**

**_I wanna kiss you but I want it too much_**

**_I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison_**

**_You're poison running through my veins, you're poison_**

**_I don't wanna break these chains_**

The music slowed as Thrax stepped through yet another archway, finding himself in a large, spacious room with linoleum flooring, small, silver, square pull out cabinets lining every part of the walls, parted by the occasional door or window. In the middle of the room were a couple of empty autopsy tables, both stationary and movable, a few wheeled swivel chairs, and Ray dancing with a mop. That last detail especially held the virus's interest as he watched her, she completely unaware of his presence.

**_Your mouth, so hot, your web, I'm caught_**

**_Your skin, so wet, black lace on sweat_**

Singing along with the lyrics with a confident voice, Ray continued to twirl around, using the mop in place of a partner. As the music once more picked up in tempo, so did the sapphire colored cell's movements, her long, white lab coat billowing after her.

**_I hear you calling and it's needles and pins_**

**_I wanna hurt you just to hear you screaming my name_**

**_Don't wanna touch you but you're under my skin_**

**_I wanna kiss you but your lips are venomous poison_**

**_You're poison running through my veins, you're poison_**

**_I don't wanna break these chains_**

Once more, the music slowed, and so did Ray's dance, her body slowly swinging and bending with graceful lithe, obviously well-practiced. Her singing voice too was skilled, reminding the virus of the female jazz singers of decades past with the deep, smooth, smoky voices. Thrax had to admit, as he stood back and continued to watch Ray in her private world, this was defiantly a side, not to mention skill set, he would have never expected the no-nonsense immunity cell to have. And what a delightful surprise it was to have himself proven wrong for once.

**_Running deep inside my veins_**

**_Poison burning deep inside my veins_**

**_One look could kill my pain, your thrill_**

Tempo pulsating once more with heavy beats, Ray picked up her pace, a rare, bright smile on her face as she spun herself and the mop around. This had always been her favorite part of closing up shop for the day, killing to birds, the birds being clean up duty and her inability to stay still for too long, with one stone. The singing came as a side effect over the years this habit developed, and by now she knew all the words to her favorite songs by heart, as well as the dances she set to them. Like how the mop scrubbed away the day's dirt and grim, dancing washed away everything from headaches to troubles for Ray, giving her, even for just a rare moment, a feeling of serenity.

**_I wanna love you but I better not touch_**

**_I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop_**

**_I wanna kiss you but I want it too much_**

**_I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison_**

**_You're poison running through my veins, you're poison_**

**_I don't wanna break these chains_**

**_Poison!_**

Her black boot clad feet twisting her into twirl, Ray let her hips continue to control where the rest of her body would follow. Closing her eyes, she let herself completely go to the music, her body knowing what to do even without the guidance of her eyes as she sang the last verse.

**_I wanna love you but I better not touch_**

**_I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop_**

**_I wanna kiss you but I want it too much_**

**_I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison_**

**_You're poison running through my veins, you're poison_**

**_I don't wanna break these chains, poison…_**

Ending with a popped hip pose , mop landed in its bucket, and floor clean, Ray stood still for a moment, trying to catch the breath she didn't realize she was missing until the music stopped. With a small, rejuvenated chuckle, she let go of the mop to turn around, her hands busy fixing the messy bun her hair was trying to escape from and straightening her glasses.

"You know, you dance and sing pretty good, for a white blood cell" Said a smooth, husky voice from the corner. Ray froze in mid step, sickening dread gripping her stomach. She slowly lifted her gaze up to where the voice spoke from, praying it was anyone, anyone except for…

"Ah, crap" She said defeatedly as her eyes met those of a smirking virus. Quickly wiping away the shocked and horrified expression that fell on her face at this realization, Ray sneered at Thrax as she continued to walk over towards her desk that was pushed into a corner.

"Oh no baby, don't stop. I was just starting to enjoy the show" Said Thrax as his eyes followed her form as she moved past him. Right on cue, annoyed twitch.

"What are you doing without your keepers Red? What are you doing over in _my_ side of the building?"

"Always the questions with you, isn't it Doc? Well, to tell you the truth, I've been rewarded time away from them for good behavior. I just was wandering around when I found myself here, and what a find…" He answered as he walked over to join Ray, whose was leaning over her desk, feigning concentration over some medical documents that were scattered over the desk top. She continued to ignore him even as he leaned up casually against the wall besides the desk, staring down amused at the immunity cell.

"Ah, come on, don't be acting shy now just cause I caught you in the act. If you wanted you could continue, but I don't think the mop was a worthy partner. Me on the other hand-"

"You know, most men would take my bitter insults and cold glares as a cue to leave me the hell alone" Ray bit out as she glanced up from her paper work, her face betraying her annoyance and the slight embarrassment she still felt over being spied on by the perverted virus "But not you, cause you're not like most men, are you?"

Straightening herself, Ray looked over the rim of her glasses as she met the smirk of the virus with a glare, grabbing an open bottle of water to take a couple of sips, her throat parched from her little work out. Watching her casually lean her back against the desk, Thrax looked her calm and close stance over. After the first day at the hospital, Ray had come to be completely relaxed around him, with or without her loyal pet or friends around her. Like so many things of late, this took him slightly by surprise. Not even Jones and Drix, who have worked with killers before, though not of Thrax's magnitude, still had yet to even unwind in front of him, whereas Ray smirked, taunted, and laughed at him as if he was just another cell that annoyed her instead of a virus. It was rather intriguing, and he wondered why she was able to do what no other cell could do once they knew who, and what, he was.

"The same could be said of you about baby" Thrax said, his voice dropping down to a smooth purr "You seem like the type of girl whose needs can't be met by most men. But I'm not most men…"

Oh Frank, nervously thought Ray as she recognized the hazardous tone and smirk of the virus, why does this psychopath always read my taunts as an invitation to flirt? Does he need me to spell it out for him to take the hint about how much I hate him? Hmm…maybe I should.

Game on then.

"You think you know what my needs are then? You think you could…satisfy them?" Asked Ray in a tone she hoped was seductive enough. When it came to forensics, she was a certified genius, dancing, decent enough, flirting, horribly inexperienced. Thankfully though, the virus took the bait, not noticing the slight uncertainty and discomfiture that underlined her voice and expression. Placing a clawed hand behind the desk space she was leaning against, Thrax came in closer, his towering stature causing Ray to look up at his leering face.

"You know I could baby" Thrax knew that there was something highly suspicious about the unnaturally cold woman's sudden warming up to his flirts, but he was enjoying this too much to not resist giving her the opportunity to show him what she had planned. His attempt of trying to make her twitch with annoyance once more for the sake of entertainment had taken an interesting turn, and he wanted to see where it led.

Turning herself over so her body was facing his, inadvertently shorting the already too close for comfort distance, Ray locked her obsidian blue eyes with the golden-yellow one that belonged to Thrax.

"I need you…" She whispered low, causing Thrax to lean in closer to hear.

"I want you..." Ray's lips curled up into a smile that should have served as a warning to the virus that kept closing the distance. But it was too late.

"To get the hell out of my face!" With that, she dumped the contents of the water bottle in her hand over Thrax's head, her shouting and sudden action catching him completely off guard. Frozen with an expression that amusingly resembled wide-eyed shock, Rachel smirked and chuckled freely at the virus beside her, who had taken a couple of steps backwards from her in surprise.

Game over.

"Hoped that cooled you down enough hot stuff to realize I'm not interested in playing around with you. Now get out of here before I call Zane over to chew your face off!" She had come a long way since her first meeting with the virus, and even as she saw his look of disbelief grow into one of burning anger, she didn't feel anything close to a shiver of the spine. Then again, this shouldn't surprise to her, she was always quick to adjust, not to mention she already had plenty of experience in dealing with deadly viruses before she even came to work for FPD…

To her surprise, what met her ears wasn't another flirt, a threat, or even a warning over what she had just done to the most deadly virus Frank had ever come across. It was laughter. Rich, husky, deep laughter coming from the virus, and for some reason, the sound of it made Ray prefer a threat or even an unabashed flirt from the virus, anything but that sound.

"Oh baby! There's just never a dull moment with you, is there?" Thrax finally said once he had recovered, though his tone and expression seemed a little too…feral to match his playful words. Before she could even retort to his comment, Thrax left the desk side to walk back over to the wide door way he had entered.

"I'll be looking forward to the next round of our little game baby" With that, he left, leaving Ray alone, bothered, fuming, and frankly, creeped out.

Once more in the hall way and alone with his thoughts, Thrax let out the breath he had been holding in. That had been a close one. That woman had no idea how close she had been to him showing her how he usually dealt with those who insulted him, man or woman besides. It was rather strange that, even though he had wanted to do the same to Jones and the cold pill many times before this, it was an insignificant woman who nearly pushed him over the edge. With a couple longer, deep breaths, he felt the threat of his infectious power that rose with his hidden anger diminish. If there was one, one, good thing to come out of all this, it was that his control over summoning his power had increased exponentially. Before, it would rise with his anger just like a tide would for a full moon, and he thought it just as natural. But now, it seems that everything, even his temper, could be controlled.

Without warning, Thrax punched at the concrete wall to his right, creating a noticeable hole in the innocent barrier without so as much a scrape on his part. Control, he hated that word, more specifically, he hated when it was applicable to him. He was El Muerte Rojo, no one could control death, and he should not have to control himself. But, he must, if he was to live and take revenge, he must control everything within himself.

Once again having to reign in his temper, as much as it infuriated him to do so, Thrax forced himself to walk on. Soon he found himself at the archway that he had followed before, but just before he went through it, he noticed a pair of double doors set only a little ways in front of him. Curious about the door way he missed his first time passing by, Thrax went up to it. With a minimal amount of strength, the rusted doors opened, allowing the virus to pass through.

The room was completely dark, though Thrax could see his breath come out in white puffs in front of his face, caused by the dramatic drop of temperature, chilling the slightly soaked virus. With a clawed hand, he felt the walls nearby for a light switch, and was soon rewarded. The lights flickered for a few moments before a cavernously large room became bathed in white light. Old fashioned ambulances, cars, trucks, and even motorcycles crowded the concrete floored space, tool chests half-hazardously left open, gizmos and gears strewn about carelessly. This was obviously the garage that Jones had procured the ambulance from Thrax deduced in an instant. Walking through the tight space left in between the vehicles, the virus recalled Rachel once mentioning that when the demolition crew left their job incomplete after loss of pay all those years ago, the previous mayor tried to put the building to use as a storage house for the junk he wanted to hide. While most of the stuff had been removed when the forensics department had moved in, a few things remained apparently.

Coming to a couple of bulky shapes hidden underneath a dusty white cloth, Thrax grabbed at the sheet to reveal what was underneath.

"Well, well, well. Who would have thought I would find such a beauty in here of all places?" Crooned the virus as his yellow eyes racked over the machine in front of him. It was a street racer, its vivid red and black paint rotting away from years of mistreatment and neglect. With an expert eye, Thrax came closer to the motorcycle, touching it here and there as he inspected its condition. Satisfied that besides a couple of rusting parts and chipped paint, it was still in good condition, Thrax stood up.

Since the good doctor was not quite willing to provided entertainment anymore, the virus considered it might be time for a change in hobbies, one that wouldn't make him come close to losing himself to his ever present rage, and thus, his life. A smirk once more graced Thrax's face as he placed the white sheet he had casted aside almost lovingly back onto the motorcycle, his mind made up. He would busy himself with other hobbies now that he had access to quiet, but he would never leave the doctor alone. She was just too entertaining.

Just like the thought of what he would do to her and then everyone else in this damned body once he gained control over everything, including himself.

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

Hey, just wanted to say a few things, first off, I fully realize that transduction or transformation are ways in which only bacterial cells can gain new DNA. But since this story is about cells in a man's body wearing clothes and solving crimes, I think I can bend the rules of basic biology a little. I will be doing similar things like this in the future, and I will try to be sure to point them out, but if any of you see anything I miss, feel free to point it out and correct me, respectfully please.

Anywho, I hope you liked that this was more from Thrax and Jones' point of view rather than Rachel's. Even though Thrax and Ray are the 'main characters' I must admit that I am looking forward to playing around with Ozzy's character in the future, especially since I kinda assigned him the role of leadership over the small team of misfits. I always got the feeling from the movie that he was more perspective than he seemed, and if nothing he was very street smart. Sure, he is cocky, overconfident, and at times rather annoying, but I personally kinda like that he is. Please tell me what you guys think about this, and whether you like or don't like the way I am portraying Jones.

I also like to have wonderfully teasing moments between Ray and Thrax, so you will be seeing more of those. They (mainly Thrax) just love their little games of cat and mouse, don't they? Right now I think the score is Ray: 2, Thrax: 1, so we'll be seeing if Thrax can even the score in the next chapter, that is, if Ray will be willing to play anymore…

BTW, unsub is a term from 'Criminal Minds' that I use. I am not 100% certain that it's used in real life, but I am tired of typing murderer/suspect/psychopath all the time. The term is just sort for unknown suspect.

Last thing on this chapter post I swear! I am wondering if I am still keeping true to the characters personalities here. I am especially worried that I got Thrax wrong (Jones I am twisting around just a little bit, but he should still be pretty close to what he was in the movie). So if you guys could just drop a comment about it, I would appreciate it.

Well then, same time hopefully, defiantly same place. Till then…

( •_•)

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(⌐■_■)

Live long and prosper (Haha! Bet you all weren't expecting that!)


	5. Chapter 5 First Case

Chapter 5; First Case:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

I realize that so far, I have started every chapter with someone waking up, so let's see if I can't break that odd habit!

Also, sorry to my loyal commenters that I didn't send out the preview for this chapter, finals has been killer, sigh. Oh well, enjoy the actual chapter instead, which is extra long to make up for that failure!

~o0o~

_An individual can and does make a difference, but it takes a team to really screw things up_

Reclining in a lounge chair placed by the wide window beside his personal space on the second floor, Thrax continued to glance through the mechanics manual for basic repair. It has been years since he actually had to use just his hands and skills to fix up a machine, seeing as how his infectious powers extended past living things and could destroy or infect 'organic machines' as well. And so far, his addition of hobbies as of last night has proved to be most…soothing.

It was late in the morning now, and everyone else was already busy with their own personal business. Though not near enough to bother Thrax, Jones was over on the other side of the second floor, reading and rereading though the slim case file he had just constructed on the unsub that had been plaguing him and the gangs of late, recently dubbed the 'Slasher' by the media. Drix on the other hand was at his personal desk set away from them all, testing and researching some thing or other on his computer. All in all it seemed like it was going to be a quiet day, something the virus was not at all opposed to now.

"Hey guys! Get off your lazy asses! The test results are in!" Shouted Ray as she climbed up the stairs to the second story, Zane faithfully following her. Thrax felt almost like laughing out loud, unsurprised by the doctor's noise interruption of his morning. As if his recent run of luck would let him have a moment of peace in this accursed body.

"Does this pertain to the 'Slasher'?" Drix asked, wanting to be certain as he stood up from his customized chair in front of his desk to join beside Jones, who had instantly shoot up like a flare rocket to be by her, ready for answers.

"Other than the fact it reveals what kind of disease he is, who he is, and his probable location of hiding? Absolutely nothing" Ray responded, her voice between a tone of sarcasm and light boasting, her usual morning temper replaced with exhaustion from staying up all night once again waiting for the test results. After the virus had left her alone yesterday, Ray noticed a foreign strand of DNA on one of the victims, and determining it belonged to the killer, compared and tested it against the unlimited criminal database, hoping that she might find a match, discovering that her hunch was right not twenty minutes ago after staying up all night in the lab.

Thrax stood up to join the small circle the others had formed by the small woman, noticing how calm and relatively unphased all of them seemed to be as he did. Whatever Jones had said to his partner obviously convinced the cold pill that Thrax was not a constant threat to be guarded against every second of the day. As for Jones, after their conversation the other day at the storage house, it seems the tension between them had lifted somewhat, if only on the promise that they would both get the chance to destroy each other eventually, one way or another. For Ray and Zane though, Thrax wasn't certain if her resentment caused by their little…confrontation, back at the forensics lab, was still present and dangerous, but he knew it wouldn't be long before he tested it.

"So, what is he? A virus? A bacteria? I bet he's a bad case of-"

"Fungus" Ray interrupted Jones. All three men's faces nearly fell into disbelief at the disappointing reveal. A fungus? At most, those were mere annoyances, and vast majority weren't even killers, just sickly looking illnesses that were somewhat irritating to the human they called home. Then again, this guy had stolen DNA from other germs and bacteria...

"To be more specific, he's Athlete's' foot, he's in our database under the name 'Freddy the Foot'. The cherry on top though is that immunity has nothing else on this guy, no pictures, no place of residence, only a couple of statements from some cops saying they have only seen this guy in the left foot, and that's it" Ray added almost bitterly, frustrated at the lack of organization and communication within Frank that had once again affected her investigations.

"But that foot fungus has been in Frank for some time now, even before that virus came, so why start killing all of the sudden?" Drix voiced, not the least bit phased when Thrax glared at him for being referred to as 'that virus'.

"Maybe it has to do with the fact that the mob boss that was putting pressure on illnesses like him to pay for 'protection', and to keep out of any action that would call attention from immunity on them all met a…untimely end" Ray said, her eyes darting to glower at Thrax's. He just looked at her, and it took a couple of seconds for him to recall what she was hinting at.

"Oops, my bad" Thrax said in a mockingly apologetic tone as he shrugged his board shoulders, a smile creeping on his face over the memory of how he 'took care of' the mob boss in the pits back when he first entered Frank looking for nasty germs who wanted in on a big score. Jones and Drix didn't seem to care about retort the virus gave as they were both deep in thought, mauling over all the information the brilliant doctor gave them. Finally though, Jones spoke out, once more taking on that authoritative tone that still surprised Ray and Drix.

"Alright, here's the plan. We're gonna take down this fun guy by going into his turf undercover. The feet are too hot a spot for criminal action for an immunity cell to go down there without being noticed. Plus, this guy has proven himself tough enough to take care of himself, so we don't want him aware of our presence" Jones told them all as he started to pace around, everyone's eyes following him.

"Right, Drix, did you find anything about the locations of the murders that would help us narrow down where this guy hunts?" Snapping to attention, the cold pill read off the clip board he had brought over with him.

"I was just about to actually tell you about that before Miss Rachel came down. Obviously, all the murders had taken place in quiet areas that were secluded and actually rather ideal for a murder, and even though there were only two killing sprees by 'Freddy', they follow a pattern" Pausing to make sure he had everyone's attention, and surprised that he actually did, Drix continued.

"Apparently, within a block or two of the murders, there were signs of something called 'The Infection' being held near it. It is some sort of traveling night club scene for germs, bacteria, and the occasional fungi like our Freddy to enjoy. It's basically the foot's equivalent of the shortly lived Zit clubs on the face or the Bacne of the lower back. I think that Freddy goes to this regular social gathering looking for germs or bacteria he can prey on…" Instantly at hearing the words 'The Infection', Ray's eyes widened a little, recognition showing. As Drix continued to talk about how the club was next to impossible to locate the club next gig without risking the germs finding out and moving it elsewhere, Thrax watched as Ray simply took her phone out of the back pocket of the jeans she had slept in, and start texting.

"So really, it would take a long time for an undercover immunity cell to locate where the club was going to be, and if Freddy isn't there that night, or if he even goes there to find-"

"It's gonna be in the ankle of the left foot tonight, by the abandoned sweat shop factory on Reek Road" Interrupted Ray, reading off of a text she had just received. The two cops that had been discussing how they were going to locate the club turned to look at her in surprise, confusion riddled on their faces.

"How did you know that?" Asked Jones, his expression changing from astonishment to disbelief.

"I have friends on the other side of the law Jones, and they got connections" She simply replied, her tone indicating that was all she was going to say on the matter. Thrax smirked, apparently the good doctor was not quite as good as he had previously thought if she was keeping that kind of company. It seemed there was much more than what met the eye about this unexpectedly interesting woman.

"His word can be trusted though. But if that isn't good enough for you, I give you mine" Ray continued before Jones could ask her more on the subject that she already felt she had revealed too much of. After a moment of reflection, Ozzy nodded his head, deciding to give Ray's 'friend' and herself the benefit of the doubt.

"Well, I guess this is probably as good as it's gonna get. Let's get ready to crash a party then"

o0o

After spending the rest of the day going over their plans for when they made it to 'The Infection', when night fall came it was finally time for Jones, Thrax, and Rachel to get ready to go under cover.

Standing alone beside one of the many dining tables of the scrounge lounge in his regular clothes, Thrax tapped his shortened clawed fingers against the table top, his face and hands painted over with a deep purple to match his dreads. While it took body paint to hide his naturally dark red skin, as a virus it was within his abilities to shorten his claws, even his fore claw, down to a less threatening looking length without the aid of his infectious powers. It was a simple defense that all higher level diseases had to make them appear less threatening to immunity, though most, like Thrax, didn't do it too often, preferring to be armed and ready at all times.

"Damn Thrax, here I thought you couldn't get any uglier, but it seems that self-dye job has proven me wrong" Jones insulted as he came down the stairs from the second story, causing Thrax's lips to curl up into a sneer.

"You shouldn't be talking Jones. Though, truth be told, your disguise is an improvement" Thrax threw back, getting a glare as a reward. Stuffing his hands into the pocket of the baggy blue hoodie, Jones rolled his one eye as he made his way closer to the virus he had oddly enough come to feel more relaxed around after promising him a chance to kill him. With the help of the natural camouflaging capabilities only immunity cells were born with, Jones morphed his face into a boxy shape common of germs, and injected himself with a temporary dye to color his usual ice blue skin to a murky green, making him look like any other regular germ.

Now all there was to do was to wait for Ray to finish getting ready. While Jones knew that it would be wise to take three of them to 'The Infection', and that it couldn't be Drix for obvious reasons, Jones still didn't feel comfortable with Ray coming along. She wasn't a cop, she was a scientist, she was supposed to stick to the lab and crime scenes, and not under cover. Then again, she was without a doubt one of the toughest women he had ever known, the sock on the jaw she gave him the first day they met proved that, and she was clever, so hopefully, hopefully, she would be clever and tough enough for this. Besides, Ray herself made the valid point that neither Thrax nor Jones was skilled enough to recognize a fungus from any other infection at just a glance, or tell a five inch claw from a six inch, so, in her own words, she was needed.

"Alright, I am ready. Are we taking the car the mayor gave us or are we all going separately?" Asked Ray as she herself finally stepped down the stairs to join them, Drix and Zane coming down after her. Jones was about to answer, when he saw what she was wearing.

"Oh come on Ray! The one time you get a chance to dress up, and you choose to still look like a punk? Where's your sense of femininity?" He shouted, exasperated with the woman who chose to ignore him as she strutted right up beside him. She was no longer wearing her glasses, her eyes instead framed by black liner and a dusky eye shadow, the dark blue dreadlock,high pony tail wig she wore trailing down her back. With a red crop tank top cut off at her ribs, showing off surprising amount of sapphire skin, the whole ensemble was topped off with her regular leather jacket, punk boots, and skin tight black jeans with studded belt. Ray thought that if she was going to a night club filled with germs, bacteria, and most likely a killer fungus, then by Frank, she was gonna to wear clothes she could run away or kick ass in.

"While I must admit your grab is appropriate for the 'clubbing scene' Miss Rachel, I hardly see how it is fit for the viral clubbing scene in specific" Drix spoke out as he and Zane came up alongside Ray, interrupting the silence that followed Jones ignored comment. Ray simply smiled, showing off a pair of sharpened canines that stood out against her darkened lips, before she spoke out in a rather matter of fact tone.

"Nah, its perfect if I do say so myself. One, the dread locks are a common feature in the viral world, two, sharpened canines, three, fake claws, and four" She pointed then to her eyes, which the other two men finally looked over to meet, greeted by a delicate clawed hand directing their gaze to a pair of ruby red irises that looked very real for fakes "I think I will fit in alright. I have seen other virus females, and I think I copied their general appearance rather well, right Thrax?" Hearing his name called, Thrax smirked as he looked Ray over, feeling like it was time to test her temper.

"Baby, you look delicious" Annoyed twitch followed by disgusted sneer. So, she was still Ray under what little make up she bothered to put on, and she was still mad about yesterday, good to know. Thrax couldn't help it as his smirk grew wider as the other three ignored him to talk, unable to keep his eyes studying Ray's form. She wasn't the most stunning cell or virus he had ever seen, but she did have some striking features, which until she had put herself in a cut off top and skin tight pants, had gone relatively unnoticed. Even though he had singled her out as a unique source of entertainment for him in the beginning, Thrax was surprised to suddenly discover it was because of her retorts and reactions, not her looks. How odd, for once he was intrigued by a woman's brains and not her body. Something must be wrong with him, he blamed the antibodies.

"Yeah, so, I guess you look alright for this mission" Jones spoke out, bringing everyone's attention to him "But Thrax and I are armed, and I don't want you going in without protection, and I know for a fact you can't handle a gun-" Ray stopped Jones from continuing as she somehow pulled out a small knife from her under her tank top, her expression almost mischievous.

"I think I can manage" Though she saw herself as a scientist first, Ray was looking forward to going out undercover, as the lab was never quite as exciting as the field could be, and knew she should be prepared. Unable to think up a retort to having a girl pull a knife out of her bosom, Jones simply shrugged.

"Okay then, Drix, you keep a look out on the police scanner while you chill here, call us if there is trouble that might be this Freddy. Thrax, Ray, we're taking the new car out for a spin"

o0o

It didn't take the deep blue mustang Andrew somehow managed to get them within a day to take them to the ankle long, that, and Jones's driving helped. It did however take them a while longer to find 'The Infection' itself, but soon, the tell-tale sign of a crowd of germs and other such unwanted diseases lead them to the club. Parking the car a couple of blocks off, the strange trio finally made it to abandoned building whose insides had been somehow transformed into a clubbing scene, complete with laser lights, half naked dancing girls, and seizure inspiring techno for the viral crowd's enjoyment.

Instantly Thrax found himself comforted by the familiar territory, and that Jones too seemed to be at ease among the viruses and like that packed themselves crowded the spacious factory floor. Ray on the other hand, seemed to be more out of place than a fish walking on land. Sure, she very much looked the part, but the way her now red eyes glared at any one that tried to get too close, and her rigid posture made her stick out like a sore thumb.

"Alright, you two know the plan. Spilt up, scoop up info from whatever gang members are here, try to get a fix on our fungus if possible, and meet back at the entrance way in two hours" Jones tried to shout at the other two as quietly as possible before he mingled into the crowd, disappearing into the sea of music entranced faces. Ray suddenly became aware that she was alone, well, as alone as one could be in the middle of a dance rave, with Thrax. Seeing his yellow eyes, which stuck out like fiery lanterns against his dyed skin, look her figure up and down, she cringed, knowing what was coming. She knew she couldn't avoid another round of cat and mouse, as much as she wanted to. So desperately wanted to.

"You really don't dig the whole clubbin' scene, huh?" Though she knew it would probably be in her best interest to ignore him and move on, Ray couldn't help but glower at the virus, a look of ultimate 'duh' on her face. The virus merely continued to smirk down at her, laughing as a random dancer pushed her closer to him, she growling in frustration.

"Well, I bet dancing would help you relax baby, or maybe you would enjoy something a little more, physical?" He practically purred the last word, which Ray was surprised she even heard over the techno, she became even more surprised when a clawed hand wound its way around her exposed waist. Instantly, she stiffened when she found the arm the hand belonged to reel her in closer to the virus.

"Do you have a death wish?! Cause if you do, I will gladly grant it!" Ray hissed as she glared daggers up at Thrax. Not phased in the slightest, he leaned down to her ear, pulling her even closer to his side.

"You've attracted attention" He whispered, his eyes darting over to a crowd of still bodies that were huddled in a far corner. Following the path his gaze took, Ray was shocked to see that Thrax was right; ouch, that confession hurt. Some of the faces of a gang of G's that refused to dance where looking her way, their leers making her more uncomfortable than Thrax's closeness, even with his unnaturally high body heat disturbingly warming her.

"Rule number one of handling yourself in a place like this, you gotta look confident baby. Germs like them can smell an insecure gal from miles around, and if no one is around to stop them from having fun, well…" Letting his trailing tone imply his meaning, Thrax enjoyed himself for a moment as he found the crowd of dancers around the two of them force Ray even closer to him, if that was even possible at this point, starting to feel to score even itself between them from yesterday. Not that he was gonna stop at even of course.

Frank, where was a bottle of water when Ray needed it?

"And I suppose having you drape yourself all over me is your way of stopping them? Aw, how sweet and caring of the psychopathic killer" She finally bit back over the music, looking directly up at his towering face. Twirling herself out of his grip, which thankfully had yet to become constricting, Ray unwound herself away from Thrax, coming to stand in front of him.

"Sorry, but I rather take my chances on my own than have neutered virus look after me. I do have my pride after all" Ray said the last part with a confident sneer, hoping to have his calm, poised façade fall like it did yesterday evening. Surprised to only see his smirk grow only wider as he laughed again, she decided it was time to take Jones' advice, and spilt before the virus could possibly say anything else that would piss her off more.

Watching Ray weave herself through the crowd of viral dancers and away from him, muttering something about damned red skinned killers, Thrax continued to smirk as his laugh died down. Two birds, one stone. He evened the score with the good doctor, and once more tested his control around her, this time coming out on top. Even though it was a small victory, with the way things were going with the lack of advancement in the antibody problem, he would take what he could get. The smirk fell however as he returned his grin to the gang of G's Ray had been oblivious to until he pointed them out. There were five of the mucus green colored germs, each burly and brawny as was common among their kind, along with a lack of brain function. Deciding to make the best of this undercover trip, Thrax made his way over to the corner the germs resided, more specifically to the make shift bar that was only a few feet from them.

Jones kept glancing around, taking in the faces that surrounded him as he wandered around the dance floor. Several times he had to untangle himself from the arms of a frisky female that wanted to dance, but other than that he was relatively ignored. Soon though, he stopped when he caught the sight of a light green skinned man. Bacteria. That was a promising sign, if Bacteria were here, then maybe their psycho stalker would be here to, watching out for the gangs like Jones was.

"Man, I swear, if it wasn't for that Slasher, those damned germs wouldn't be here looking so smug"

"Well, if you want to fight them, be my guest. All I know is, the last time some of our guys tried to start somethin', it ended nasty for both sides" Squirming his way closer to the corner the small gang of bacteria had huddled themselves into, Jones continued to listen in. So, that's how Freddy got the bacteria and germs alone the last time, he waited for them to start a fight and then ended the confrontation they started. But if waiting for the two gangs to clash in a war together was what it was gonna take to get the 'Slasher' to come out, Jones didn't like it, not one bit.

"Damn, look at those fuckin' BTs', remind me again why we can't waste them?" the dumbest of the gang of germs in the opposite corner asked. Thrax, who was leaning against the wall not too far from them, listened in more intently, hiding his grin behind a mug of alcohol.

"Cause, the boss said anyone who don't want to be Slasher fodder better behave. But you're right, they look like they could learn a lesson from us again…" Replied one of the other germs, who returned a glare a bacteria was giving him from the other side of the building. Thrax would have rolled his eyes if he did not fear drawing attention to himself. Lower viruses could never control themselves when it came to a fight, and even though he had only recently started to grasp what true control was, he knew he was better than these punks. By the looks of things, it wouldn't be long until one of the gangs forgot the about the Slasher, and would gratify their want for violence.

Ray played with one of the dreadlocks of her wig, leisurely wandering around the dance floor, avoiding the writhing couples with ease. Damn him, damn him to the hell pit he crawled out of. How could he call her, a doctor who's every morning started with cleaning up bloodied corpses and looking the dead straight in the eye, insecure. Scoffing at herself as she came to the outer edge of the dance floor, Ray leaned up against a wall, her eyes still searching for the reason for this outing. If that virus continued to get on her nerves, soon she wasn't gonna be able to hold herself accountable for her actions.

Realizing that having him stuck in her thoughts was probably a tactic of his to drive her crazy without even being near her, Ray tucked away her anger for the virus. Concentrating on studying the crowd in search for the fungus or her unlawful friend that put her wise to the location of the Infection, she looked around. Picking out Jones among a gang of bacteria from across her, and Thrax near a gathering of germs, she almost smiled. For two hated enemies, the two of them seemed to cooperate rather efficiently, each eavesdropping on the gang they wormed close to. Now, if only she could find the…ah-ha.

There, not a couple of yards down the wall she was leaning against, was exactly what she was looking for. Leaning against the wall as she was, though not as relaxed, was a Tinea Pedis, more commonly known as Athlete's foot. He was dressed entirely in black, loose clothing that failed to hide how frail his frame was underneath it, his face covered with a hoodie but his fungal hereditary still apparent. What little skin she could see was pale, as was common for his kind, and actually sort of flakey, as if he himself were peeling slowly away. Though not moving from his spot, the fungus kept twitching, scratching and shifting nervously, as if waiting for something. Looking to see if Thrax or Jones had seen the highly suspectful nervous wreck, Ray saw that she alone had noticed.

"That does it man, I can't take their smug attitude no more. Let's teach them a lesson!" Thrax's eyes widened as the G's started to move out, their will to obey their boss's orders at an end. Things were just about to get very entertaining he thought as he set his drink down to follow the group of five, the feeling of an impending outburst of violence putting a delighted sneer on his face.

Jones' noticed the gang of bacteria he had stationed himself near glance over at the germs, their eyes meeting. Seeing the toughest representatives from each gang nod to each other, Jones waited a moment just like Thrax before he followed the bacteria, trailing behind them by a few yards as they all weaved through the techno entranced crowd.

Ray watched this whole scene unfold before her, and a sly glance to her right showed her she wasn't the only one. Seeing the fungus twitch for a few moments before making his way through the crowd after the gangs, Ray held herself back for a few seconds before following after him as she texted Jones her suspicions. The hunt had begun.

o0o

"You got a lot of nerve showing up here G's" A bacteria spit out as the small gangs finally entered an abandoned street several blocks away from the Infection from opposite sides, the two groups glaring at each other. As the G's and BT's started the traditional insults that proceeded the actual fight began, Thrax kept to the shadows as he inched closer to the enclosing circle the two gangs formed, unobserved by either gang. Seeing Jones come from the opposite direction towards him just as stealthily, Thrax slide into an empty alley way, certain that Jones saw him and would follow.

"Think that this Slasher is gonna show up to get a piece of the action?" He asked once Jones had caught up, the two of them watching the gangs continue in their taunts from the darkened and dirty alley.

"Maybe, but right now what matters is breaking these guys up, before things get out of hand" Jones replied as he took his cell phone out from the folds of his sweat shirt, about to dial up FPD for back up, not caring that it was against one of the mayor's many 'rules' for Frank's Finest. This was still his city, and he would be damned if he didn't do his all to protect it, germs or cells beside. It was then that he noticed Ray had sent him a vague text that she was trailing a suspicious fungus that was in turn trailing the gangs, but he delayed replying for the moment to call.

"Or, we could just let them kill each other off, but I guess that would be taking the easy way out" Thrax growled, finding his power of will being strained as he suddenly found himself longing to be in that circle that spanned the abandoned road way. It then painfully occurred to him then that it had been longer than four months since he has actually seen any action, had actually killed, and the temptation to break the long hiatus was over whelming. With any luck though, he might just get the chance, seeing as how the gangs' taunts would soon start to escalate into actual acts of violence.

Ray didn't know where the hell this fungus was leading her, but she knew she didn't like it. As she kept her distance and sneaked behind the slim and willowy infection, she tried her best to observe him as they continued to stroll down an wide alley way, hoping that he would start revealing something for her to work off of. As if hearing her, Frank she hoped not, the fungus started to shred of his clothes off, literally.

**_Little fly, why does he cry?_**

Taking his clawed hands, the fungus ripped away the loose sweat shirt releave himself of its awkwardness, revealing sickly, pale, thin ribs jutting out of his starved from, his voice whispering out his song. Ray did not enjoy the nauseating grip his darkly repellent voice had on her senses, but her mind was still sensible enough to notice that the claws on both his hands were in fact, six inches. Bingo.

**_Caught in a web, soon he'll be dead…_**

As Ray crouched beside a dumpster, she tried to keep herself from gagging on her apprehension and laughter simultaneously. This guy was nuts, or, as she liked to professionally put it, off his fucking rocker. It was strange, even though this guy might be responsible for the death of seven, Ray couldn't honestly say that she was afraid, more healthily concerned for her wellbeing. Maybe it was because she had lived and was living with murderers that had a much higher body count, and a rabies virus that drooled acid.

Suddenly her phone silently vibrated in her pocket, and she had to clap her hand over her mouth to keep her from yelping in surprise. Peeking around the corner of the dumpster to make sure the fungus had not noticed the action that was a too loud for her liking; she was relieved to see that he was still walking down the alley way, his pace only a little slower as he continued singing. Deciding her presence had yet to be detected; she glanced at the message on her phone. It was Jones, texting her 'thanks for the heads up, now stay put and out of sight, there's to many psychos to worry about here without you around'. Her eyes narrowed angrily at the message as Ray for the hundredth time this day contemplated the consequences of murder, only this time for an immunity cell rather than a virus. Nah, neither of them was worth the twenty to life, that, and her conscious would annoy her to no end. Noticing that she could no longer hear the fungus's footsteps echoing in the concrete alley way, Ray glanced around the edge of the dumpster. Empty.

Standing up a little straighter, Ray crept out from her hiding place hesitantly to see if the fungus was still in view, zipping her jacket up against the chill of the December night air and the disturbing thought of how close this scenario was to a cliché horror movie scene. Nothing stood out in the empty alley way, not a fungus, not even a stray cat. Certain that the suspicious fungus she was certain was Freddy had continued down the alley way toconfirm her and Jones' suspicions about who he is, she turned to walk back to the night club.

"Well, well, well. Looks like I caught me a pretty little fly" A voice whispered low to Ray as a pair of bloodshot eyes and a toothy grin flashed hungrily before her.

"Enough talk! You cowardly G's gonna make your move or not!"

"Why don't you BT's? Unless, of course, you're too chicken to start something you know you can't win!"

Thrax felt smacking his face, the pitifulness of the gangs that still had yet to make a move overwhelming him. And here he expected them to act like the violent and brainless lower viral diseases they were, but no, he and Jones had to find and follow the cowardliest of the two gangs whose spinelessness kept them from even pulling out the weapons they all had tucked in their pockets. Thrax decided then that he should never again dare to hope that his luck would lead to anything good, his uncharacteristic optimism only leading to disappointment.

"Tell me that back up is coming soon, I can take much more of this stupidity" Thrax confessed out loud to the undercover immunity cell, his desire to see a fight lost to his want to just shut the two gutless gangs up, or gut the gangs that refused to shut up.

"They should be here any minute" Jones told him, he too getting sick of having no choice but to overhear the ridiculously child-like taunts of the gangs. But Jones was also getting worried, five minutes had passed since he text Ray back, and though he knew she undoubtedly resented his message, he never knew her to be irresponsible. She should have texted back by now saying that she was heading back to the club, or that the fungus she was following was going down such-and-such road, or, or something. Before worry for the doctor's safety could accumulate into visible nervousness, Jones forced himself to calm down. First deal with the gangs, then worry about the immunity cell who could pack a punch and talk smack to one the deadliest illness to ever hit Frank.

"Chicken! Bock, bock, bock!"

"Oh Frank, just kill me now" Jones muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose in agitation, the G gang now doing chicken impressions at the BTs.

"Only if I get to kill them too" Thrax told him, knowing full well Jones wasn't looking for an answer but unable to resist none the less. The two of them shared a look for a second, and, it might have been Jones' adrenaline infused imagination, but it seemed to be…amusement. Shaking away the chill that went through him, Jones went back to watching the two stand still gangs, Thrax doing the same.

"That does it! Let's waste them!" Finally shouted one of the BTs, chicken impressions being where they were finally willing to draw the line. The two sides then started to draw their weapons, some holding up guns, some making the mistake of bringing knives, obviously newbies. Jones was just about to dial up FPD and tell them to hurry their asses over, when two shadowed figures walked out into the street.

"Waste them? Nah, oh, no, you are all are already waste, you just not aware of it yet. But you will be, you all will" A sickly screeching voice announced, drowning out all the taunts of the germs and bacteria as the voice's owner stalked out of the alley way he had been hiding in, dragging someone along beside him.

"Listen you mother fucker! I ain't gonna tell you again, let me go now or I swear I will personally make sure that I will see you on my autopsy table tomorrow!" Screamed an infuriated Ray who was unfortunately trapped in the fungus's tight grip, the scrawny bastard being much stronger than he looked. She had fought the creep every step of the way after he managed to take her by surprise, but it seems her kicks and flailing about did little to deter the fungus who still managed to find the gangs despite the extra weight. To make matters worse, the fungus had her arms pinned to her sides thanks to the position he held her in, thus making her efforts to reach for her knife useless.

"Oh no, Ray girl, what were you thinkin'?!" Jones nearly shouted, panic rising as he saw the fungus step closer to the now silent and confused gangs, Ray still shouting curses and hissin' like a wild cat. Thrax's eyes widened in surprise at the rapid turn of events, but then narrowed. Looks like things now called for a more, _direct_ approach. Glancing down at the disguised immunity cell at his left, Thrax smirked.

"What now Jones, we wait for back up? Or rescue the damsel?" Jones looked away from the scene of the gangs muttering amongst themselves about who the crazy shirtless guy and the pissed off girl in his arms was to look up at Thrax, his uncertainty apparent. But it only lasted for a moment. Letting his natural ice blue coloration spread out over the murky green as his face changed back into his natural form, Jones met the virus's smirk with his own.

"How about instead we teach these punks how a real fight goes down? Remember though, killing is bad for _your_ health" With that, Jones grabbed his immunization gun from the hostler under his sweat shirt, and ran out into the street. Not one to be left behind by an immunity cell, Thrax stalked out from the shadows of the alley way, commanding his claws to revert back to their natural length as the smirk on his face grew wider and wider.

Finally, time to lose control.

"Freeze suckas! Immunity!" Shouted Jones as he took a stance, his gun aimed and ready. The gang members of both the G's and BT's merely gawked at him, his appearance silencing their surprised muttering about Ray and the creepy fungus that was starting to edge his way closer to them all.

"Fuck, it's the cops! What do we do?!"

"Shot him of course!"

Not knowing who finally had enough balls to give the order to fire, and really not caring, Jones started to fire back, ducking and rolling away from the poorly aimed shots. Seeing his bullets hit one, then two germs in the legs, bringing them down, Jones risked making his way closer to the kidnapped Ray, but some Bacteria blocked his way, their guns pointed right at his face.

"Ha, you freeze cop" Said the cockier of the BT's as he made his way closer to the crouching form of Jones, but soon found himself dangling in the air by his neck.

"Wha-what the hell?!" The Bacteria tried to struggle, but when his face glanced down to see who had a hold of him, his body went limp with fear. A pair of yellow eyes burned with predatory hunger, a devious grin sending visible shudders down the bacteria's body. Before he could even let out a scream, Thrax's hand squeezed harder, producing a gagging sound from his prey. Before he could sink into unconsciousness though, the virus threw the pathetic excuse for an illness at a few of his fellow bacteria, their bodies slamming against the wall of a building, grunts and groans abounding.

"Oh, that felt gooood" Thrax purred deeply as he rolled his shoulders back in delight, as if a great weight had suddenly been lifted from them. Slowly turning around to face the others that had surrounded him and Jones during this five second confrontation, Thrax saw Jones stand up beside him.

"You take the ones on the left and I take the ones on the right?" Jones asked nonchalantly as if asking which tie looked better on him.

"Deal, and you better watch your ass Jones. The pleasure of killing you is mine alone to enjoy"

As hell broke loose in the street in the form of bullets, curses, and screams, Ray found herself momentarily pause in her persistent struggles against the fungus she was now a hundred percent was Freddy to gawk at the sight.

"Wow" She breathed out as she watched Jones first hit a germ in the head with the hilt of his gun and then knee him in the gut before moving on to a new target. Thrax seemed to be doing pretty well too, maybe even better seeing as how he had just literally bashed two bacteria's head together only to kick them both away before their unconscious forms had time to even collapse on the street. His pointed shoulders rolling with his movements, arms and claws gripping and grabbing anything that dared get into their range, it was like watching a wild animal fight, except an animal wouldn't be looking as delighted as the virus did when his claws tore a chunk of a germ's shoulder off, causing a blood curdling scream to be torn out of him. For the first time in a long while, Ray felt a shuddering chill go down her spine, making her cold with stupefied terror at the sight before her.

"Hmm, well now my pretty fly, looks like I won't get the chance to collect at all today, seeing as how your friends ruined the party" The sickly screeching voice of Freddy pulled her back to reality, along with the repulsion she felt for letting the virus get under her skin once more. Feeling herself being pulled in closer to the fungus's side, Ray had to bite her tongue to keep herself from yelping in disgust as the shedding 'Slasher' brought his face down next to hers.

"But at least I got you pretty little fly. Mr. E will be more pleased with me for bringing you to him, then, maybe he'll let me eat some more" His tongue flicked out with the last word, licking his lips as he stared at the wide eyed immunity cell in his uncomfortable clawed grip.

That did it. She had enough of the freaky fungus who was starting to make her prefer when Thrax was draping himself around her. She bit down at the nearest bit of flesh, hard.

"Gah!" Shrieked Freddy as he snapped back reflexively, a scarlet crescent forming on his shoulder where Ray had just attacked. Taking advantage of his one hand grip on her, Ray wriggled one of her hands free to slide out the knife that rested against her ribs. Taking its blunt hilt, she collided it against the bald head of the fungus, repeating the action over and over again until she felt the other hand gripping her loosen up. Daddy dearest always told her, if you have to fight to live, fight fast and fight dirty. Now free as the fungus fell away in dazed pain, Ray backed away from him, but not before kicking him in the gut at least once.

"Ray! Are you okay?" Shouted Jones as he took care of the last germ by shooting him in the foot, causing the unfortunate gang member to hop in pain before finally toppling. Turning to face Jones in time to see Thrax slash a crisscross pattern on the chest of the last standing bacteria behind him, Ray nearly screamed her answer.

"NO! I, am, not!" Stomping her way closer to Jones, who unintentionally took a couple steps back in fright, Ray's red eyes glowed with a unnatural fury that almost made the hardened cop shudder.

"Give me that gun damn it! That filthy, slimy, scummy son of a bitch is gonna pay!"

"Uh, I think I better handle this Ray, you, you go sit down" Jones told the fuming doctor as he side stepped away from her and towards the crumpled form of the fungus she left behind. Seeing Jones securing the fungus, Thrax took his place next to Ray, distracting his craving for more violence with her enjoyably infuriated expression.

"Whatca looking at Red?" She spit out venomously when she finally caught him staring, daring him to answer her while she was in the mood to kill. Thrax smirked, slightly impressed that not only had she just freed herself single handedly with surprising ease, but still had enough fight left in her to tend to her resentment for him.

"Oh, nothing really. It's just you look so cute with blood trickling from your lips" Staying only a moment longer to see Ray's fury calm its self-down to absolute disgust as she wiped her jacket sleeves against her mouth, Thrax went over to join Jones, a contented smirk on his face. A bit of bloodshed always used to put him in a good mode, and despite the long hiatus from his truly favorite way to relieve tension, it still did.

"Easy Freddy, it is Freddy right? I'm Officer Jones, and I am gonna tell you your rights, okay? And then, you are gonna tell me why the hell your guttin' up gang members in my city" Jones told the fungus who was now leaning up against the wall of the alley way he and Ray had just come out of, still out of breath and dazed from her attack. Thrax felt like laughing, this was the so called 'Slasher'? He looked noting more than a skeleton barely held together by flacking bits of skin, how could he have possibly taken down so many illnesses when all it took to take him down was a small woman? Looking up at the two men who were towering over him with hateful gaze, Freddy started talking.

"I know my rights! And I ain't sayin' nothing! I don't take no one's orders expect Mr. E's! Only he can order me, cause only he was smart enough to see my potential!" Ray crept her way closer to Jones's side, her anger and disgust both giving way to curiosity as the twitching fungus kept on talking.

"He's my boss now, not that dead and deader Scabies! Ha, he tried to keep me down, but now look at him, dead! Dead like the insignificant pest he was!" The three members of Franks' Finest tried to resist the urge to roll their eyes, for someone who wasn't going to say nothing; Freddy sure could monologue a lot.

"Scabies, you mean the mob boss that died four months ago, right?" Jones asked, his gun still trained on the fungus's head in case he got any bright ideas.

"Yes! The slime fly that _you_," Freddy pointed a razor sharp six inch claw at Thrax's face, a malicious grin on his face "killed! And then I was free, free to take revenge on the flies that kept me down, flies like those pieces of scum over there!" Moving his hand away from Thrax's face to point at the unconscious and pain riddled forms of the germs and bacteria.

"How did ya know Thr-, how do you know how the mob boss was murdered?" Jones interrogated, he and the others trying to contain their shock that Freddy seemed to know their dirty little secret, as well as many other things. Freddy glanced back at the three in front of him, his grin spreading wider than thought possible.

"Mr. E knows everything! He knew that I had been killin' ever since Scabies died, he knew that I was trying to make something of myself, to get strong enough to take real revenge! And he helped! He gave me something to eat, something warm and fleshly, and told me to kill and keep eating! So I did! And it's about time you guys noticed!" Ray's eyebrows crooked up in interest, not only over this 'new boss' he was talking about, but also his confession that he the seven dead germs and bacteria they counted weren't the only ones. Just who was this Mr. E, and why in the world would he concern himself with a fungus like Freddy, or more importantly, know about Frank's Finest?

"And I will keep on growing stronger, and there's nothing you freakin' cops can do! You're caught in his web now, he's gonna run this city into the ground, and there's nothing you can do about it!" Freddy screamed out, launching himself away from the wall with claws at the ready towards Jones, who knew that he wouldn't be able to pull the trigger in time.

Smack!

Freddy went down instantly, his unconscious body slamming hard onto the concrete of the alley way as he fell. Jones looked at Ray with widened eyes, glad for all the years of training that helped control his trigger finger as the doctor stood where the fungus had just been, clenching the clawed fist she had just struck the fungus down with.

"Oops, my bad" She said with a alarmingly delighted grin amplified by her fangs as she straightened out her jacket, looking unnervingly similar the virus to her left what with her fiery eyes and taloned fingers. Jones and Thrax just stood there for a second, blinking in astonishment, but Jones shook himself back into his senses enough to speak.

"Okay, I swear, this is the last time I say this; this guy is one a sick psycho!"

o0o

It took only five minutes of waiting next to the unconscious crumbles of the gang members and Freddy for the backup Jones called for finally arrived. It was only a few squad cars, and just one ambulance, and a handful of men that accompanied them, though none of them were recognizable to Jones or Ray. Strangely though, the cells who responded seemed to be rather calm about the whole mess, and were ready to handle the situation despite the strangeness of it all. From the alley way they hid Thrax in, the three watched the mess get cleaned up in a matter of minutes, Jones coming out of the shadows only to tell the responding cells his version of what went down, and that Freddy was gonna need his own padded cell. Eventually when everything was sorted out with the backup that acted more like cleanup, a tired Jones, contented Thrax, and still pissed off Ray made their way back to the mustang they suddenly wished they didn't park so far. But as they turned down the empty street the vehicle was parked at, Ray suddenly wished it was miles away.

"Well, congratulations, you have survived your first case" Andrew Aslpeen, in all his grey tweed suited glory, greeted the trio as he watched them get closer.

"Oh thank goodness! You're alright! I was so worried!" Leah, who had accompanied Andrew down from the Brain upon hearing that Frank's Finest had just had a confrontation with the Slasher, shouted, running over to the three with arms wide open. His face beaming with the thought of his girl running into his arms and spewing about how she was so afraid for his life and other such sweetness, Jones reached out to welcome the apple of his eye.

"Poor Ray, did that fungus hurt you? Did you kick his ass at least? Oh, come here sugar" Leah comforted the smaller sapphire colored woman, who tried to assure her that she was alright to no avail, Jones's jaw falling in hurt disbelief. However, his dislike of taking second place when it came to his girlfriend was soon forgotten as Drix, who Leah had made certain Andrew picked up along the way down, patted him on the back.

"Sorry that I had to miss out on all the excitement. Did everything go according to plan?"

"Kinda, if you call nearly getting killed and Ray kidnapped going according to plan. But, it did all turn out all right in the end I guess. However," With this, Jones turned away from his red and yellow friend to face the grey brain cell "I know that FPD has never been the best it could be, but I have never known my fellow cops to be late when it came to giving backup, especially when lives are at stake" Andrew merely shrugged as he ran a hand through his sleeked back hair.

"Well, that's cause your fellow cops have been ordered to ignore your calls from now on"

"What?!"

"You see, after your resistance against the mayor's orders to wait on the now solved 'Slasher' case, he thought it best to gather up a another team, one designed of ordinary cells that would take the place of the FPD, and would be privileged with the knowledge of our…secrets. That way we could make it possible for all of you to visit a crime scene or receive backup without worrying about anyone getting suspicious and tattle-tailing. They'll be getting their own uniforms next week" Andrew explained as he leaned against the blue mustang, unphased by the glares of confusion and dislike the others were giving him "Unfortunately though, this team was not completely ready by the time you called, so we ordered the FPD not to respond, and sent only a small fraction of the cleanup crew once we thought things were under control"

"You did what?!" Screamed Ray from the embrace of Leah, squirming her way out the caring woman's arms to march over to Andrew, a finger pointed at his composed face. In the back of his mind, Jones noted that Ray's disguise seemed to have just melt away save for the dead lock wig, even though he didn't see her take off the fake claws or anything else on their way over to the car, but ignored the thought when he heard her continue to shout "You kept cops back from doing their job because the mayor's personal army wasn't ready?! It was because of your decision to wait that we could have all been killed!"

"But you weren't" Andrew pointed out with a smirk "But the late response by the new team, titled Support for Frank's Finest, or S.F.F.F. for short, wasn't only because it wasn't completely ready, but also because you all had yet to complete the test, one that you all passed with flying colors might I add"

"And what the hell do you mean by a test?" Asked Thrax, not truly upset by the discovery of more secrets and rules from the mayor, but curious none the less. Unphased as he always seemed to be even with a killer virus coming closer to hear his answer and a still fuming Ray pointing an accusing finger in his face, Andrew responded.

"A test to see how well you all worked together as a team. If you guys couldn't handle a couple of gangsters and their single killer, well, what would be the point of keeping Frank's Finest if Frank's Finest turned out to be a bunch of uncooperative failures?" Heavily annunciating the last part of his speech as he pointedly at Ray, Andrew straightened himself to turn to leave in the limo he took everywhere, not even bothering to look back even when Ray kicked the tires of the mustang in frustration.

"Well, that was, interesting?" Drix finally spoke, breaking the silence that followed Andrew's quick departure. While it pained him to think so, Thrax had to agree with the cold pill, but for a different reason. He knew that Ray had it out for this Andrew, but he had yet to witness it until now. The expression that was on her face as she continued to boot the tires of the new car was different, one he never saw on her before. It was angry, but not the annoyed anger he and Jones were used to whenever they got on her nerves, it was more seething, more deeper. More…interesting.

"That guy is the king of creeps. But hopefully he and the mayor are done changing the rules of the game. I'll try to make sure of that from my end" Leah spoke as she made her way over to Jones, wrapping her arm around his "By the way Jones, good job. I was worried about you"

"Oh, now its 'oh, poor Jones'! Why don't you go and comfort Ray some more, I think she hasn't had enough smothering yet"

"Sorry baby, but gals before guys" Leah explained to her extraordinarily jealous boyfriend, planting a gentle kiss on his lips, hoping it would cheer him up.

"Ugh, I think I'm gonna be sick" Complained Ray as she watched the lovers enjoy their first romantic moment since they had been separated thanks to the mayor's schemes, secretly happy for the couple. Thrax rolled his eyes and sneered in agreement as he looked away from the lovers who were disturbingly comfortable with sharing such a tender moment in front of a snarky doctor and sadistic killer, leaning against the car just as Ray was now.

"By the way, you, uh, well, you fight pretty good. I must say that I was slightly…impressed" Ray half mumbled in the general direction of the still purple dyed virus after a moment of silence. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Thrax's sneer morph into a pleasantly surprised smirk at the first compliment he had ever received from her, and she instantly regretted ever saying it, wondering why she even felt the need to blurt it out in the first place.

"Well, if you think that was impressive baby, you should see the way I handle myself in bedro-"

"I'm hungry" Ray announced loudly, interrupting Thrax before he could finish his lewd comment. Walking over to where Jones, Leah, and Drix stood, Ray joined her friends, knowing that Thrax was following her, smirking for all he was worth at her discomfort he seemed to always find so amusing. Freakin' sadist.

Looking around the empty street, Drix's eyes soon fell on the only building that had its lights on, the red neon crown advertisement catching his eye.

"Looks like that 'Royal Diner' is open, and seems to be a clean enough establishment" Everyone glanced over at the short building standing alone on the street corner that Drix was now pointing to, its dark wood framing and striped awning giving a serene atmosphere to the restaurant, making it stand out from its decrepit surroundings.

"It will do. Come on, I'm starving. Jones, you're paying" Ray said as she started to walk over towards the double door entryway of the diner, the others following her as they too suddenly realized that fighting off gang members and talking to slime balls left the stomach with such an empty feeling.

"What?! Why me? I think it should be Thrax, after all, he's the one who called you a damsel" Jones told Ray as she was just about to enter the restaurant, a red blood cell behind the bar inside becoming visibly excited at the prospect of costumers. Ray froze, her hand on the door handle.

It will never be known except to the members of Frank's Finest whether the knife the infuriated sapphire immunity cell threw with unexpected skill hit its viral target or he managed to escape it in time, but it did not really matter. The team of misfits had won, they had solved their first of many cases to come, had stepped closer to the truth that laid trapped in the middle of the web that already had a tight grip on all their fates.

~o0o~

Well, I hoped you like this long chapter! The gang had finally solved their first case! Hurray! Now, onto the references and explanations!

First off, Freddy. If any of you guys are familiar with A Nightmare on Elm Street or Mr. Renfield from Bram Stoker's Dracula, you should know where the inspiration for some of Freddy the Foot's looks and personality came from. Also, the song he sings was sung by Gollum in one of the Lord of the Rings movies (sorry, can't remember which).

Also, sorry that a good chunk of the story had to explain the the characters disguises, but that's because these guys will be using the same ones over and over again, so I rather just get the descriptions of them over with.

Next, the Royal Diner. This story has many inspirations, but none more so for Ray's character than Bones from, well, Bones. I love this show, and I love her character, so not only is Ray modeled after her, slightly, but also I love the cliché that the characters visit the same diner over, and over again. So, I think it would be safe for you guys to assume, you will be seeing more of this diner in the future!

Mr. E, yeah, I know, such a cliché name, but as the team of Frank's Finest gets closer and closer to the truth, they will find out that this guy has a much bigger role in their lives than they thought (as well as a cooler name, which will be revealed later…mwahahaha)

Also, my finals are this week, so I will not be able to write at all, period, until it is over. And that sucks. Hopefully though, I will be able to get another chapter out before the week of Christmas cause guess what! I'm gonna have a Christmans themed chapter! YAH! I hope to see all your lovely comments soon, and to have chapters typed up for your enjoyment!

Well then, same time hopefully, defiantly same place. Till then…

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Keep up the heat!


	6. Chapter 6 Unfinished Business

Chapter 6; Unfinished Business: 

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

** sunkissedvampire**: Thank you so much for your review, it cheered me up after a full day of college exams! And I am glad you like the characters so much! (I couldn't PM you, and I respect that, but I still wanted to thank you for your review!). Also, a hearty thanks to all my readers and reviewers, you guys are great!

This is by far the longest chapter written folks, but since I am leaving tomorrow to see a ballet with friends and then trash up a hotel suite until Monday, when we all get a day out on the city for my B-Day, and the fact that I am exhausted from finals (Done finally, thanks for all the good luck!), it will take a while for the next chapter to be up (but it will defiantly be up before Christmas, otherwise it would kinda be pointless…) Enjoy!

~o0o~

_When danger surrounds, you then see the truth, who are friends, who are foes, and who are you…_

It was a quiet afternoon for once in the hospital where Frank's Finest resided, each enjoying their personal hobbies in the place of work, which since the Freddy case last week, had been nonexistent. Thrax, sitting on his regular leather couch by the widest window, was about to finish the manual for basic mechanical repair, after which he would dare try to repair the racing motorcycle he had found by hand, something he was oddly enough looking forward to. Jones and Drix were talking as friends do at a dining table, their conversation ranging from the lack of romance in Drix's life to who was better a better shot. Ray too was enjoying a lazy afternoon, what with the unusual lack of corpses, and was laying down on her back on a couch not too far from Thrax's, tossing a rubber ball for her Darling, and enjoying a moment of doing absolutely nothing for once.

Drix leaving for a moment to check on some personal experiment, a now alone Jones watched the playful rabies virus catch the toy the small woman had somehow managed to throw all the way across the floor only to have it be returned, becoming lost in thought. It had been a whole week since they had a case after the Slasher, but Ozzy's intuition and common sense told him that case was far from over. After Freddy had been carted away, Jones immediately tried to set up an interrogation appointment, seeing as how the foot fungus not only killed more than they had previously thought by his own confession, but also that he knew about Thrax. That, in specific, caught the immunity cell's interest. He was under the impression that the mayor's biggest secret was exactly that, but if somehow a psychotic fungus had come into knowledge of it, then who else knew? And then there was that Mr. E Freddy kept babbling about, telling them all how he was now running the town, that they were caught in his web and other such unnerving things. It could be very possible that a new viral mob boss had taken over Frank as his territory, and if he was financing psychotic killers like Freddy as a personal hobby, then Jones was very interested in finding out who he was. Yet, for all the many reasons he had to talk to the fungus, FPD told him that an interrogation with Freddy was impossible at this point, and that he would not be eligible for such for a long time, by order of some top dog or other. Not even his girl Leah with all her connections could get in contact with the fungus, not that she would ever give up though. Jones stroked his goatee, his mind becoming tangled in the oddities and secrets that seemed to becoming more and more common ever since Frank's Finest had been born…

A ring tone broke the silence of the room, and Jones jumped at the sound that emanated from his pants pocket. Roughly torn out of his thoughts, Ozzy pushed aside his thoughts as he reached for his phone.

"Hello Drewey! Long time no call, and here I thought you and the mayor had forgotten about the team of experts you both managed to make hate your guts…" The others turned to look at Jones as he became silent, listening to the grabbled voice that belonged to Frank's Finest liaison, Andrew Aspleen.

"Yeah, maybe. Depends, why do you want us to go there? A'ight, we'll do it. Thirty minutes? Fine" Snapping the cell phone shut, Jones sat up from the table as he put on his jacket, a splitting grin on his face.

"Well gang, we finally got another case! Drix, suit up! Ray, grab your bag of tricks! Thrax, Drewey wanted you along to for some reason, so put on that ugly purple paint job or a wide brimmed hat…" He announced as he started walking towards the hallway entrance that would lead him to the garage, knowing that the others would be right behind him in a matter of moments.

o0o

It took the full thirty minutes for Frank's Finest to pack themselves into the car and drive up to the lymph nodes of the right arm, and to everyone's surprise, they ended up at a gun shop. As they all scrambled out of the car, Jones felt like having another chat with Andrew, one about reminding the brain cell to actually tell him what the hell was going on.

"What crime could be so important as to call on us when there has not been a murder for over a week?" Asked Drix, a little more aggravated than he meant for it to sound. When first climbing into the car, he unfortunately got the short straw and had to sit in the back, and though he complied, Drix knew he was going to be put off for the rest of the day thanks to the virus he had to share the backseat with.

"I don't know, all he told me was to get to this address to investigate a routine break in. The man never tells me anything. But it doesn't matter, he said the leader of that S.F.F…whatever, team the mayor concocted is here with him, and it's about time we met the man" Drix nodded in agreement, yes, it was defiantly time to meet the person who was to be in control of the mayor's personal army that he had somehow managed to create in so little time. The cold pill resisted the grimace he felt trying to form on his face, repulsed by what kind of man the mayor had turned out to be and the lengths he was willing to go to get what he wanted, even if what he wanted was the best for Frank.

"Wait, you mean to tell me that there are no dead bodies here? Than what the fuck am I doing here?" Ray questioned as she let the heavy duffle bag filled with her tools fall onto the concrete sidewalk, agitation written across her face. She had really been enjoying the quiet week they had, and was not looking forward to spending time with Andrew, or anyone for that matter.

"I'm with you on this one baby, so how about you and I ditch this scene and find a nice quiet place to be alone together…" The once again purple tinted Thrax leered out at the doctor standing next to him in a new flattering blue jump suit she bought for herself, his piercing yellow eyes trained on the surprisingly curvy figure he saw beneath it. Ray resisted the urge to grab the knife she now kept on her person at all times, but inadvertently gave the virus exactly what he wanted when her face jerked in irritation. Their, for lack of a better word, relationship had not changed much, Thrax continuing on in whatever game that Ray sometimes felt like she had no choice but to play. The only thing that did change though, was his boldness. Before, Thrax would only make his comments when it was just the two of them within ear shot, but now it seemed he didn't care who heard him, much to her everlasting humiliation.

"I'm sorry Thrax, but being alone with you sounds about as appealing as playing Russian roulette with a fully loaded revolver" She retorted before Jones or Drix had the chance to defend her womanly honor themselves, receiving a little satisfaction out of the chuckle that Thrax decided to end off on instead of a rebuttal.

"Ah, Rachel, still as charming as ever I see" Said Andrew as he walked out of the shop to the collection of misfits had been standing outside of. All attention moved from Thrax and Ray's conversation to the grey colored brain cell, a new face beside him.

"Oh my gosh! This is the team? Wow! This is so cool, I finally get to meet ya'll!" Babbled a tall red blood cell clad in a jumpsuit similar to Ray's expect for the red color and the letters S.F.F.F. sewed on, and the fact that the very well-endowed woman before them filled the suit out much, much better. Ray could have sworn she heard three pairs of eyes pop out of their respective skulls beside her as the woman stepped closer to them all, her long scarlet tinted ponytail and bosom bouncing.

"My name is Dr. Abigail Normal, but ya'll can call me Abby, I was professor of criminology for the University of Frank, but now I'm gonna be the leader for the Support for Frank's Finest, I know, big career change right, and I must say I am very honored and excited to be of service to ya'll, if there is anything that you want, please let me know…" The woman, Abby, shook hands with all four in a matter of seconds, all while talking in that Southern accent without even pausing to breathe. Only one thought managed to form in Rachel's mind in her surprised state over the woman; perky, so Frank damn perky, she hated perky.

"Uh, um, please…pleased to, meet you?" Drix, the first to recover, mumbled out, starting to think this day might not be so bad after all, and he received a beaming smile from the woman who almost rivaled his height. Rachel shook herself out of her astonishment, wondering why she was surprised in the first place. Maybe it was the brief flashback she had of the high school cheerleaders she once knew caused by the woman's seemingly permanent smile.

"Dr. Normal, I have read some of your work on the theories of criminal justice, it was insightful. Naive, but insightful" She said as she bent down to lift her duffle bag onto her shoulder, figuring that there probably no way she could get a ride home from any of the boys now. The well-known Dr. Abby's reaction though was rather different from what Ray was expecting, as she chuckled at her characteristic rudeness and continued smiling. Perky, so damn perky.

"Ah, ignore her. Her soul was removed to make room for science and sarcasm. I'm Jones, this here is Drix, little miss rude is Dr. Rachel, and the tall, dark and ugly one is Thrax" At the sound of his name, the virus merely smirked at the red blood cell, who to everyone's surprise continued smiling. Ray's eyebrows lifted in confusion and interest, she was expecting more from Thrax, something along the lines of 'Hey there baby' or 'You're a fine lookin cell' like he had so often said to her. But no, just a smirk, albeit an ogling one. But before she could really think about the oddity that was Thrax's behavior, Andrew spoke.

"Well, now that introductions are done, may we finally proceed with the reason you all have been gathered here this day? Unlike you all, I do have a career to tend to…" Without even waiting for them to answer him, Andrew turned to go back through the glass door he had not just walked out of a few moments before. Following after a brief overlook of the guns lined up in the front windows and 'no pets and children allowed' sign, the others went into the brightly lit store. Racks and racks of projectile weaponry of all kinds were lined up everywhere, packed from wall to wall. The already sparse space was made smaller by the multitudes of red and white blood cells, who were everywhere, all wearing jumpsuits similar to Abby's. Each cell was busy with dusting a gun rack for prints, or documenting the shattered glass that was scattered about on the floor, too busy to even look up at the strange company who their leader was now with. Watching the tall red blood cell before her walk with a confidence she could only credit to someone who was used to being in command, Ray had to hand it to the woman. She seemed to know what she was doing, and was seemingly handling the whole being leader of the mayor's personal investigative force and working with a deadly disease much better than the others would.

Through the corner of her eye, Ray could see Thrax stiffen up defensively beside her as a random white blood cell pushed past them all with a couple of vials in his hands, the virus's face steeling itself into a guarded, brooding expression. Obviously he was not too keen on being around so many officers and workers of the law at one time, and this caused a small smirk to spread on her face. Ray started to rethink her opinion of this Abby person, if only because her and her people's so far capable ability to preserve evidence sufficiently while also making Thrax feel uncomfortable.

"So, what was so urgent that you had to call us away from a wonderfully unproductive day?" Jones asked once he and the others caught up to Andrew, who had stationed himself behind a glass counter containing small hand guns.

"There was a break in here last night. And while it is not out of the normal for a weapons store to be looted, this one is of particular interest" With that, he took a remote he had been hiding in his coat pocket, and turned on a security TV that was suspended in a corner behind the counter. Instantly a grey scene of the store at night could be seen, and with just a few seconds of fast forwarding, Andrew came to the part he wanted to show them all.

"As you can see, they entered through the back; Dr. Abby's technicians already determined that they forced themselves in with a crowbar. And here you can see that to the actual store and the goods out front they left relatively alone, it being the cheaper merchandise, but to the store room in the back the damage was extensive" Andrew narrated, the events he was depicting being shown on the spilt screen that showed both the back and front rooms being looted by a numerous gang of darkly clothed figures of many shapes and sizes. Jones and Drix leaned forward in interest as they watched a squat blob like shaped figure, apparently the leader, watch his underlings break open a safe, taking out several documents before looting the rest of the place. Jones didn't know why, but for some reason, the oddly shaped leader seemed familiar to him.

"What was in the safe?" Asked Jones as he started sorting through his memories.

"We contacted the owner, and he told us that all he kept in that safe was his, um, private client list, and the safe codes to the storage buildings where his, more interesting supplies, are kept" Replied Dr. Abby, finally talking slow enough that the others could understand. Drix form his position next to her smiled and nodded his head approvingly; so far this woman and her team were proving to be most useful. If anything it meant less work for them all.

"So, a gang of thieves stole from a weapons smuggler? Would someone care to remind me why the hell I am here?" Ray asked with a voice that was dripping with cynicism, once more having to dump the heavy duffle bag onto the floor before her arms could give out. Dr. Abby perked up with an answer before Andrew or even Thrax had time to respond with whatever comment they had lined up that would most likely push Ray closer to the chasm of insanity.

"Well Dr. Rachel, there is actually some aspects of evidence analysis and collection that my people are having trouble with. You see, while we all are trained professionals in our fields, little of us have experience in the, well, in the field. So I would love it if you went over some things yourself for us" Ray was once more taken a bit back by the gigantic woman, expect now for her humility instead of her pep and thick accent, and with a nod, once more picked up her bag to follow Abby to the back room, leaving the men alone.

"So, Drewey, can you explain to me why I haven't been able to get an interrogation with my friend Freddy?" Jones asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence, getting right to the point. Though he much rather be anywhere expect in a weapons shop surrounded by law workers, Thrax leaned against the counter Andrew was still standing against, his curiosity the only thing keeping him from absolute maddening boredom.

"Sorry Jones, but Mr. Fredric is in a rather unstable position for the moment, and it would not be wise to see him" Replied Andrew as he picked off a couple of pieces of lint that landed on his favorite grey tweed jacket, becoming bored.

"Sucks for him, cause we need to have a chat with him. You of all people should especially be wanting to talk to him, seeing as how he knew about your mayor's dirty little secret" Said Jones with motion towards Thrax's relaxed figure. Andrew glanced at the virus who was smirking at him over for a few seconds before responding, his tone no longer as confident as it usually sounded.

"Yes, well, our people are sorting that out, so you do not need to concern yourself with it. Your job is to just catch the criminals, and leave the prosecuting and interrogation to others" At first Jones was about to ask him who these 'others' were, but then Jones saw the look on Andrew's face. It was uncertain, an expression that he had never seen on the slime ball of a cell before. Maybe there were some things that even the right hand of the mayor didn't know…

"Listen up, this is what we got!" Shouted Ray as she came back to join them, a still grinning Abby following after her. Dr. Abby was right, there were a couple of things her people over looked, but not much, in fact, Ray was rather impressed with the work done. Seeing the attention of all the others on her, Ray covered the rest that Abby had yet to mention.

"The way they unlocked the safe was standardly crude yet not entirely unprofessional, using a simple blow torch and such to open it, so they had probably done this before many times. There are no fingers prints to be found, cause the bastards were smart enough to wear gloves, however, we got lucky" Knowing this as her cue, Abby lifted a evidence bag for all to see, a little piece of torn black cloth inside.

"And how the hell is that supposed to help catch the gang that looted this place?" Asked Thrax, for once breaking his usual routine of staying quiet and simply smirking. Personally, he was rather bored, but the promise of another case where he might get to beat the crap out of some punk and let off a little steam was starting to perk his interest. While he enjoyed the quiet they've been experiencing of late, he had never spent so long in one place before, and it was beginning to take a toll on the so called control he was trying to cultivate. He needed to get out and get out now, to do something a little violent to offset the aggression that had been bottled within him ever since he got blackmailed into this Frank's Finest scheme.

"Because Thrax, it smells. Bad, yes, but its odor belongs not to its owner, but to the place its owner has been hanging around frequently" Replied Ray in her matter-of-fact tone, feeling that his for once none debauched question deserved a straight answer. With that, Dr. Abby opened the bag, and instantly her nose crinkled in disgust.

"As you guys can see, well, smell, the owner of this piece of cloth has been spending quite sometime in the lower bowels, besides the docks if I had to make an educated guess" As she spoke everyone got a whiff of the unmistakable odor of Frank's lower digestive track. Mercifully though, the red blood cell zipped the evidence back up, handing it off to one of the many red jump suited members of the S.F.F.F.

"It seems to me, the obvious thing to do is to give the shipping docks of Frank a visit then. And now seems as good a time as any" Said Drix, Jones nodding in an agreement as he tried to regain his breath.

"Oh, great! Mind if I tag along? I may be of some use to ya'll down there" Piped up Abby as she came to stand next to Drix, her beaming smile causing the cold pill to suddenly feel anything but cold. The more observant Thrax and Jones instantly knew exactly what was running through the pill's mind and reacted as a hated enemy and best friend would, but Ray missed the invisible transaction, having to deal with a sneering Andrew who walked up beside her.

"Go ahead Dr. Abby, I am sure Frank's Finest wants to get to know you and your talents better. I guess that means you're not needed then Rachel" Ray was about to throw an insult his way, when she realized that what he said true. She could leave, she could have the hospital to herself, she could be alone. The idea was nearly enough to make her jump for joy, nearly.

"You know what, your right Andrew, for once. Well," Ray turned towards Thrax, Jones, Drix, and Abby who were all straightening themselves up to get ready to leave, a happy grin betraying her delight of getting to spend a couple of hours away from them all "I guess I will see you suckers later than!"

"But since their going to the bowel docks, than that means you're left without a ride home. But I suppose I could then drive you though-"

"Hold on suckers, I'm coming with!" Shouted Ray as she chased after the retreating forms of the others, leaving a leering Andrew behind.

o0o

Unlike the trip to the lymph nodes, the drive down to the docks that resided in the lower bowels took a while thanks to evening traffic. However, since Ray managed to hitch a ride with Dr. Abby in her work van, the slow going trip wasn't so bad. Abby turned out to be a rather interesting woman as they talked the whole way down, sharing their similar passion for science and criminology. And to Ray, she now might be pressed into saying that she was starting to even like the red blood cell, something that was unusual for her. With the exception of Leah, Zane, Drix, possibly Jones, and few others, Ray generally detested the living. It wasn't their fault, except for Andrew and Thrax of course, but she just didn't like people, plain and simple. Hell, she worked with the dead, and even when she had coworkers she did not socialize with them, during or after working hours. Again, she blamed and thanked her parents for this trait, them both having been very aloof loners themselves before they met each other, and Ray personally didn't mind missing out on the busy social life others had. If anything it made her life simple, quiet, less drama prone; another reason why being forced to live with three men was rapidly increasing her once slow decent into madness.

"Finally, we're here! And there's the boys, come on Dr. Rachel!" Said Abby as she simultaneously parked the car next to the mustang Jones had taken down and hopped out. Ray followed snickering, finding Abby calling someone like Drix or Thrax a boy very amusing for some reason. The docks were every bit as decaying, empty, and filthy as Ray remembered it to be the last time she visited them, with ships rusting where they stood docked in water a nauseating shade of green-yellow. Following Abby over to the small circle the men had formed, Ray joined them, zipping her leather jacket as far she could against the biting winter wind.

"Whew, this human is mess, inside and out. And you cells are proud to call this place your home?" Exclaimed Thrax as he resisted the urge to cover his nose with his hands due to the stink, settling instead with a disgusted sneer. Every one ignored the virus's comment, even Abby, who got the hint from Ray earlier to basically ignore him on pain of horribly bad pickup lines.

"So, now that we're all here, shall we split up or tackle this together as one?" Asked Drix as he moved to stand next to the red blood cell who was practically bouncing up and down in excitement over her first case. Jones was about to answer him, when from the alley way in between a couple of storage houses, came a figure.

Seeing Jones's eyes trailing something, the others turned around to see a woman, obviously a virus what with her orange tinted skin and three eyes, wearing a dress far to short and heels too tall for an outing on the rickety docks. She was walking towards them, yet to notice their presence, and was chatting loudly over the phone with a thick accent.

"Yeah, so, I know right?! Well, I got this new guy, no! This guy's got it good, he's actually got a successful business goin'. Hm? Oh, weapons smuggling, and he's getting ready for a new shipment, k, well then, maybe we could meet later…"

The strange group of female doctors, heroic cops, and one deadly virus shared a collective look of wide eyed, slack jawed disbelief. Well, this case was going easier than expected. Not two minutes after they arrived at the docks, and some random girl was practically shouting out everything they wanted over the phone. How lucky for them, and very convenient. Jones, not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, shook away his disbelief, and approached the woman who still had yet to see them even out in the open, holding his badge out in front of him.

"Yo, Miss, mind cutting the chatter for a bit to answer some questions?" The three eyes of the female snapped up to look at Jones, a blank expression on her face as she finally hung up on her friend. Jones was just about to ask her again, when not unexpectedly, the woman bolted. Rolling his eyes, Jones chased after the woman who could hardly jog in her heels, the others following casually behind, not really too concerned about losing her.

The female virus turned back down the same alley way she had just walked out of, but unfortunately for her, she had apparently forgotten it was a dead end. No wonder they had gotten lucky, the woman was a complete idiot thought Frank's Finest as they caught up with her.

"Look ma'am, this will only become difficult if you resist. We just have some routine questions to ask you" Said Drix, ever the formal one. Ray and Abby pushed their way up to the front of the group, both women trying to determine what kind of virus the she was and what clues her appearance could give them.

"I don't got to tell you guys a thing! I haven't done anything wrong! So back off you creeps!" Shouted the woman as she continued to glance around for a way out of the narrow alley way. That did it for Jones.

"Right lady, spread em', we're gonna have to take you down town for some questions. You have the right to remain silent, I suggest you use it, anything you say or do can be used against you…" Though Jones knew that this was somewhat excessive, in the back of his mind he had a little bit of an idea that if he made a trip to the FPD, then he might get an idea on what happened to Freddy, and Thrax's chain. Even though it disgusted him to think that he was doing anything for the virus, he did make a deal with him, a deal he intended to keep so long as Thrax continued to stay out of trouble. So, really, he was trying to knock down three birds with one stone, had to be a record.

"Isn't this a tad bit extreme Jones? And why do we need to search her, she is clearly unarmed" Drix said, obviously referring to the tightness of the woman's black dress. Thrax chuckled darkly at the cold pill's side, a sneer on his face.

"Of course you'd be saying that. Obviously, you don't know viral women very well, or women in general for that matter" He commented, his tone suggesting that he believed he did happen to know women very well, especially the kind trapped before them now. Despite her being a virus though, he to admit she wasn't his type, cause even though he enjoyed an easy women as much as the next guy, he preferred the ones that had a little more…spunk in them, and a fully functional brain.

"What are you implying virus?" Drix asked, his patience with the virus never a long lived thing.

"Look, boys, I'll just search her to be safe and we'll ask her some questions!"

"Why do you get to search her anyways Jones?"

"Cause I ain't no perverted virus or a one handed cold pill Thrax! Now, Miss, if you could just-"

"Spread your legs, further. Now, lift your hands above your head, good, now stay like that while Dr. Normal searches you, and don't make any moves, or else I will be forced to kick your skinny ass" The three men fell silent as the two women took over the situation without them, both doctor's frustrated with their lack of competence. Securing the viral woman with the threat of beating her senseless, Ray stood close to Abby, who was searching the woman.

"I said don't move ya dumb broad!" Ray told the virus female when she was about to protest to the treatment she was under as Abby turned her around to search her some more. She should be considering herself lucky, if it wasn't for Abby and Ray, then it would be up to one of the now gaping and gawking trio of men to do this. Out of the corner of her eye, Ray could see Thrax leering for all he was worth, Drix confused as to why exactly he was embarrassed, and Jones slapping himself, trying to remember he had a girlfriend. Men are abnormal creatures that deserve only pity Ray concluded.

Shaking the disappointment he felt for not grabbing a camera to record this incredibly rare moment, Jones and the other two men came closer, the femme fatale search now done.

"Now, you're gonna tell us what we want to know, and in return, we'll think about not arresting you" Ray told the viral woman, who was now pathetically pouting her lip.

"I don't have to tell you a single thing! I haven't done anything wrong!" Shouted the woman once more.

"Yes you do. You're little conversation with your friend over the phone is grounds enough to arrest you. And if you still decide that you don't want to talk, well, I am sure that the boys down at FPD will be very interested to see a Infectious mononucleosis here in Frank" Dr. Abby added, her voice taking on the same condescending tone that Rachel's had, easily falling into the role of good-ish cop. The viral woman shut her mouth for a moment, shocked that the other two women had deduced that she was a Mono, and thought over what the doctors had just told her. But not for long.

"A'ight. I met this new guy some time ago, and he's in the weapons business, and he wanted me to meet him down here to see the new shipment, wantin' to show off or somethin'" Mono told them all, each member of Frank's Finest wondering why all of the sudden their luck had taken such a drastic turn thanks to an incredibly thick female, but thankful none the less.

"Well, how about this, you lead us to where your boyfriend wanted to meet you, and we'll consider not arresting you" Ray bargained, knowing that now she might just be stepping over into Jones's territory. Once again, Mono fell into silence as she thought this over, and once again, it wasn't long till she answered.

"Fine. So long as you keep up your end of the bargain!" Ray rolled her eyes before she nodded. The three girls then turned back to face the three men who had remained silent throughout this whole transaction. Thrax was still leering, Drix watching Abby with a look that Ray had never seen on him before, and Jones, though slightly peeved like she had guessed when she did his job for him, was otherwise happy that everything had turned out well thanks to the two doctors. With a side glance at Dr. Abby, Ray could see an amused grin on her face that was probably caused by the men's expressions, and couldn't resist.

"They may look like idiots, talk like idiots, but don't let that fool you Dr. Abby. These men really are idiots"

o0o

The Mono woman lead them all down through empty streets to the spot she was supposed to meet her new sugar daddy, taking them all past the docks and into the more industrial part of Frank's lower bowels. Just as Ray was starting to contemplate how recently the only cases she had been on have involved a storage house of some kind, a smooth, deep voice interrupted her thoughts.

"So baby, you prefer the company of cops and killers over a regular brain cell" Thrax said, stating more of an observation than asking a question. Ray glared up at the much taller virus that was now walking beside her in the group pack, once again considering pulling the knife she kept in her boot and giving it a well-aimed toss. After the kidnapping incident with Freddy the Foot, she had started to make it a routine of hers to start practicing knife throwing, a skill she didn't realize she had until Thrax had gone too far with that damsel comment. In a way, she guessed she was thankful to the prick, because his spilt second avoidance of the blade gave her hope that one day she might be rid of him after all.

"When that brain cell's name is Andrew Aspleen, than yes. What's it to you?" Thrax shrugged and grinned, but didn't reply, not really knowing the answer himself besides that he was bored, so damn bored. And the small woman beside him was one of the few interesting things in this body, what with her clever cynicism and…spunky attitude.

"Yo, Ray! Is ugly here botherin you?" Shouted Jones as he fell back through the group to walk besides Rachel, his face in a stern glare directed at the virus whose closeness to the only doctor he trusted entirely was not appreciated. Thrax's grin twisted into a sneer at the ice blue immunity cell who interrupted his enjoyment of the doctor's snarky company, resisting the temptation to rid himself of the cop right this moment. The urge to do so has been becoming stronger and stronger, more provoked by the fight with the gangs of last week's case than contented. More and more holes had been appearing in the hallways of the hospital as a response to this, and Thrax knew that if he didn't find an outlet soon, he would not be able to resist...

"Not really. If he was really bothering me, you would be able to tell by the sound of a knife plunging into a chest cavity" Ray reassured Jones with a maliciously crooked grin, which she was about to glower Thrax with, when the Mono woman spoke out.

"A'ight, we're here. I get to go now right?" All turned to face the building the three eyed woman led them too, unsurprised that it was a dingy, spacious looking storage house comprised of metallic walls that reflected the evening sun. Drix, the first in line, stepped up to the double doors sticking out of the building's corner, preparing to enter. Carefully opening the door in case of, well, anything, he peeked in.

"Looks empty save for many shipping boxes. They're not marked it appears, but they could easily be holding weapons"

"Well then, let's go in and find out!" Said Dr. Abby as she shoved herself and the Mono woman passed Drix and into the building, causing the cold pill to charge after her worriedly. The others quickly followed after them, and soon the entire group was standing in the middle of the expansive concrete floor, surrounded by mountains of wooden crates and poor lighting.

"I kept my end of the bargain, so, can I go now?" Complained the viral woman as the others started to drift apart to look around for anything resembling a clue. Ray was the only one who turned to face her, her expression matching her condescending tone.

"Ah, yes, the bargain. Well, in case you have forgotten, the deal was you take us to where your boy toy wanted to meet you, and we'd _think_ about not arresting you. Well, we thought, and we're still gonna arrest you" Ray knew that right now she was acting like a similar brain cell she loathed with every fiber of her being, but unlike him, she did give this woman fair warning that she was setting herself up for a bad deal. But, instead of complaining or whining as she had done so much of already, the orange tinted Mono smirked.

"Oh, Precious, do you hear the way these meanies are treating your baby? Could you do something about it?"

"Poor baby, would killing them make you feel better?" Asked a voice from the darkness that Ray could only categorize as the epitome of annoyance. The odd group of doctors, cops, and killers looked around, searching for the voice, only to become painfully aware that they were surrounded.

"Yes, and then maybe the money you promised me to lead them here would be nice too" Said Mono, her voice dropping the dumb broad accent for a more intellectual tone.

"Frank damn it! I knew this whole thing was too good to be true!" Exclaimed a now very pissed off Jones as he glanced around at the multitude of germs, bacteria, and other such scum that was surrounding him and his friends, each armed to the teeth with weapons they undoubtedly stole. From the top of the crates to the concrete floor the thieves stationed themselves, obviously having been lying in wait for them to arrive. Since everyone's attention to was now on the gang of illnesses, they missed the Mono woman slip back through the ranks to disappear, most likely to get her money.

"I've been waiting a long time for this moment Jones" Said the annoying voice that Ray presumed belonged to the leader. Jones looked up to the particular mountain of crates the voice seemed to be coming from, preparing himself to draw the immunization gun that hid just beneath his jacket.

"Who the hell are you?!" He asked, noticing out of the corner of his eyes that Thrax had lengthened his claws back to their original length, Drix was preparing his cannon arm, Ray had grabbed her hunting knife from her boot, and even Abby had taken a fighting stance, each of them getting ready for the impossible odds fight that was undoubtedly going to happen any second now.

"Oh, just a germ who holds a grudge against the cop who sent him to jail!" Announced the irritating voice as its owner stepped into the lamp light above the pile of crates he was on. Jones's face twisted itself into confusion at the short, squat, icky green, black goateed blob that stood proudly before them all.

"Uh…sorry pal. But um, I don't know you" Jones admitted. True, the germ was the familiar figure he saw in the security video he had just watched, but even back there he couldn't figure out what was so familiar about the blob before him now. The germ did not take this bit of news well.

"It's me! Me! The germ that you tried to shoot and instead hit a nerve, causing a whole calf muscle to crash down on me, knocking me out until FPD came and carted me off to jail four months ago! I escaped and created my own gang for the single purpose of destroying Frank! I knew that eventually you cops would discover my little operation, and I prepared everything in case it was you who they sent after me! And now, it's payback time!" The members of Frank's Finest turned to look at Jones, who was trying to make sense of what the small virus was shouting at him. Four months ago, that would have put him in the mouth on tartar patrol, about the time that Frank ate the hard boiled eg-

"Oh, y-you!" Jones suddenly exclaimed in remembrance "You! You little red-eyed, green, slimy freak! You got me in big trouble with the chief that day of the hardboiled egg incident! But…then again, if it wasn't for you, I never would have met Drix here" Jones blurted out, not really thinking straight what with dozens of guns pointed at his face. Thrax's eyes widen at this piece of news, his mind a single strand of thoughts as he put the bits together. Was Jones saying, that if this insignificant germ before them now holding them all at gunpoint didn't come here, then Jones would have never met the cold pill, than Jones never would have found out that he was even in Frank…

Standing beside the purple tinted virus, Ray could have sworn that the temperature of the chilly storage house turn up a couple hundred degrees. Glancing over at Thrax, Ray almost shivered at what she saw despite the now sweltering temperature. His face, his expression, it was beyond a feral sneer, it was savage, burning, nothing compared to it, not even the one time his mask slipped when she dumped water on him. She didn't know how her legs managed to do it, but somehow she found herself backing away from the virus, getting a sick, twisting inkling that she didn't want to be anywhere near him if she valued her life.

And she was right too. He snapped.

Turning sharply, Thrax grabbed a yellow germ who was foolish enough to get close, claws wrapping themselves tightly on his victims throat. With the quickness of experience, Thrax drove the fore claw of his left hand into the germs gut, causing the poor thing to scream out for all he was worth until his voice became chocked on his own blood that was welling up from his mouth. A wide, face splitting sneer spread across Thrax's face as he felt the life of the creature in his hand's drain away, relishing in the sensation he had been missing these four months.

"Thrax! What the hell are you doing?!" Shouted Jones, his voice panicked. But Thrax didn't have time to answer, for as he let the now very limp body of the germ fall to the floor with a dead thud, the other gun toting illnesses retaliated, and opened fire.

Ray didn't even know where to look; gunshots and germs blinded her on all sides. But thankfully, the adrenaline that had started to course through her when she saw Thrax…_kill_, acted in place of her panicked mind, and got her moving. Seeing Jones and Thrax run for cover, Ray followed them, hoping that Dr. Abby and Drix were doing the same. She could practically hear her heart ponding in her ears as she barely managed to doge a bullet that whizzed past her head, her breath coming out faster than she thought possible. She wasn't a fighter, she wasn't a cop, she wasn't used to this. Sure, she beat the crap out of that Freddy, but that was one on one, just her and a single freak, not her friends and a gang of vengeance thirsting germs, and a deadly virus who just proved how deadly he could be. Following after Jones, Ray ran down through the small path in between several mountains of crates, entering a maze of ceiling stacked boxes as she chased after the immunity cell. She didn't know how long they ran, but she did know that despite her previous hopes, Dr. Abby and Drix were not following. Twists and turns drove the trio deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of strongboxes within the storage house, taking them further away from the sounds of gunfire.

"Thrax! What the hell man?! What the fuck where you thinking?!" Asked Jones in a harsh whisper as he, Ray, and the virus rested for a moment in a boxed out corner, the voices of their pursuers on the other side of the building telling them they had time. Thrax sneered as he lifted his fore claw, the appendage still dripping with fresh blood.

"I was thinking about surviving to see the next sunset Jones" He growled out, taking pleasure in seeing the heroic cop and the good doctor look at him with horrified disgust. It had been four months since he last felt the breath of life leave by his hands, and it felt good, even if he was imagining the germ was some cell else...

"Yeah, well, hate to point it out to ya, but now that you killed one of their members, I highly doubt that this gang is gonna let us leave here alive!" Jones bit back infuriatedly, stepping closer Thrax. Ray however, leaned herself against the wall of crates that surrounded them on all three sides, feeling her knees buckling from under her. She had seen mutilated bodies of all kinds in her line of work, from germ to cell, but the last time she saw someone die, murdered, was when her parents died, and she did not like this trip down memory lane. The recollections and shock of these new events were too much for the scientist who had become used to cleaning up the crime, not witnessing it.

"They were going to kill us anyway in case you didn't notice Jones! So I did what I had to, besides, what would you have done? Offer your own slit throat in exchange for our lives? Cause I can help that be arranged…"

"Listen you!" Jones growled out low as he met Thrax's burning glare with his own, the two of them taking a stance in front of each other "I told you that our deal was only solid for as long as you stay out of trouble! Well guess what, murder is trouble in my book! Our deal-"

"Is off?" Interrupted Thrax, his eyes burning with fury, holding but a glint of pleasure "Be careful what you say Jones, you don't want to outlive your usefulness, do you?"

"Is that a threat? Cause the last time I looked, I wasn't the one with the bracelets of death! If you want to live, than you do what I say, when I say it, deal or no deal! Got it virus?!" Ray, who had finally collected herself, forced her body to stand up straight, watching the two men in their standoff, not quite understanding what they were talking about but still realizing where it was going. Thrax straightened himself to his full, imposing height, dwarfing the immunity cell in front of him who had to crane his head back to look at him, yellow eyes burning down at cold black.

Neither said a thing, but Ray could see the conversation that flashed between their infuriated expressions as clearly as if they were still talking.

_You dare tell me, El Muerte Rojo, what to do? Do you know how close your life is to ending right now?_

_Your life is the one on the line now Thrax, you have no power!_

_I have power enough to be rid of you and everything you hold dear. You said it yourself Jones, killing you is worth a lot to me…_

"Enough!" Ray finally shouted out, rushing over to the two men. With strength she never knew she had, she somehow managed to push the two men apart, standing in between them, her face matching theirs in ferocity.

"Damn it you two! We're trapped in a ware house, a gang of germs armed to the teeth want to kill _both_ of you now, and Drix and Abby aren't with us! So save the male dominance drama for later, cause right now, all our lives are at stake here!" She spat out as her face whipped from one still enraged face to another.

"Get your acts together so we live through this, and then you two can compete for king of Dick Mountain!" Neither virus or immunity cell said a thing; cause neither knew what to say to the woman who was in between them, holding her knife out as if preparing to cut either one of them if they so much as made the wrong move. Jones looked like he was just about to open his mouth to say something though, when voices not too far from them spoke out.

"I think their down here! Come on, we got to get rid of them before Big E comes for his shipment!" Shouted the annoying voice of the germ that strangely blamed Jones for his arrest, his and the voices of his goons getting closer and closer.

"Well baby, looks like your right. What do ya say Jones?" Said Thrax in a low, harsh whisper that stirred uneasy premonitions in the back of Jones's mind "Live today, kill each other tomorrow?"

Jones didn't answer, he didn't even look at Thrax. He just grabbed Rachel's hand, and started to run out of the boxed corner they had driven themselves into.

o0o

"Oh, goodness me, I hope the others are alright!" Whispered a concerned Dr. Abby to the cold pill beside her. Drix didn't answer, he was too busy trying to orientate his way through the maze of crates he and the doctor had dove into when everything turned chaotic thanks to Thrax. He didn't see what happened to Jones or Ray, but when the germs opened fire he knew that it was his duty to take care of innocent civilians first, just as Jones would do. Even so, he was just as worried as the woman next to him, who was taking this whole being hunted down thing as well as to be expected.

"Do you think that they made it out of the building, or trapped in here like us Drix?" Abby asked, once more trying to provoke the silent medication beside her into speaking, if only to help calm her nerves.

"Look, Dr. Normal. We need to remain quiet, for if we are caught, things would not bode well for us" Drix told her as they carefully rounded a corner, still wary even though the voices of the weapon dealers seemed to be on the other side of the building.

"But, you're armed with a cannon! I don't think the germs are gonna be able to compete with that-"

"I haven't fired this weapon since the day Thrax had supposedly died! I…I ran out of ammunition. Its, just for show now" The cold pill admitted, his tone akin to shame for how actually useless his was in a fight. The black eyes of the red blood cell widened, mentally beating herself for saying something stupid again, like she always did. It wasn't really any wonder that Andrew Aspleen came to her to be the leader of the mayor's S.F.F.F., she had quite the reputation as a blunderer, and it took little convincing to get her to agree, since her termination at the university was rapidly approaching. This was her last chance, her last option, and now she was blowing it.

"I, I am sorry, I didn't think before I spoke, I-I-"

"It is fine Dr. Normal, you didn't know" He told her gently, his voice matching hers in regret. The two of them fell into an awkward silence, not helping the already tensed feeling in the air.

"Call me Abby" The woman said after a moment. Drix looked up to meet the beaming smile of the doctor next to him, a small, shy grin spreading across his face.

"Abby. Come on Abby, let us go find the others. And let us hope that their situation is better than ours…"

o0o

"Ah, fuck! We're trapped! Now what geniuses?!" Exclaimed Ray as she, despite her accurate statement, tried to find a way out of the third corner they had driven themselves into, boxes marked with the date 12-12-12 all around them. Jones and Thrax too were looking around, and were not any more successful than Rachel, and the voices of their pursuers where drawing closer and closer to them.

"Well now, looks like we're going to have to fight them off after all" Thrax purred as the promise of more violence approached them.

"I told you once, killing is bad for your health, and I meant it! And you're in enough trouble as it is Thrax!" Jones shouted, no longer bothering to keep his voice down since it was only a matter of seconds till they were discovered. Thrax was about to reply, and by his expression it was going to be a continuance of the conversation before, when once again Ray intervened.

"Jones, shut up! We need him!" Instantly, both men's faces fell into shocked silence as they looked over at her, giving Ray the opportunity to continue.

"We need him if we want to live through this fight, so Jones, you shut up and get ready! Thrax," With this she turned to face the virus next to her, who was standing so close to her he got a face full of her long silver hair "You shut up and get ready! And if you dare make stupid move like killing some germ again, I swear, I will not miss you a second time with my knife!" To emphasize her point, she waved the curved hunters tool in front of the virus's face, her obsidian blue eyes flashing more dangerously than the blade. The smirk that spread across Thrax face signaled that he was willing to comply with her request, and that he had finally managed to reign in the seething anger that Jones had stirred, once again amused by the small woman standing before him.

"Good. Now get ready" She said as she turned to face the only way the gang of germs could be coming from, the sound of marching and shouts coming closer to them. Seeing Jones take a stance at her left and Thrax do the same on her right, Ray felt the butterflies in her stomach calm down some, remembering how well the two men beside her were able to fight off a whole gang in a matter of seconds before her very eyes.

Then again, it was a gang of incompetent germs and bacteria who had really bad aim. Ray took a deep breath to steady herself as she finally saw the shadows of the thieves out for blood approaching, hoping that she was the only one aware of her apprehension. She wasn't. From the corner of his eye, Thrax could see the sapphire woman next to him steel her expression, trying to hide the uncharacteristic fear she felt undoubtedly for her and her friends. His smirk grew wider, he couldn't resist.

"Aw, baby, don't worry. Big Daddy Thrax here will protect you" The annoyed glower the woman sent him set a new record for the virus, for her sapphire face tinted itself to a lovely shade of red, her expression flushed with anger and infuriation, once again reminding him of how entertaining she was to him.

"Please never refer to yourself like that again; I nearly threw up in my mouth…"

But before Thrax could come up with a clever retort though, it was too late; the pack of thieves with a vendetta had rounded the corner, their guns targeting the trio instantly.

"End of the line Jones!" Called out the short, squat leader who had positioned himself at the front of the pack, wanting to have a front row seat to the demise of the cop he blamed for sending him to jail. The three braced themselves, getting ready to charge, dodge, and basically, live to see another day.

"On the contrary, it's the end of the line for you virus!" Shouted a voice that Ozzy didn't think he would hear again. Ray, Jones, Thrax, and even the gang of weapon thieves looked up to a crate mountain at their left, finding a yellow and red cold pill standing proudly on top of it.

"What the-" Before the short, squat, slimy green leader could finish his exclamation though, the same mountain of boxes that Drix had claimed started the crumble underneath him, heading straight for the dumb founded and now fear stricken diseases who could do nothing but watch wide-eyed as the pile of wooden boxes came right down upon them all. Ray covered her eyes as a cloud of dust rose up into the air, the sound of crunching wooden frames cutting off the terrified screams of the criminals. Finally, when she though it safe, she opened her eyes to see the entire gang trapped under the debris, Drix standing safe and sound on top of the pile still as if it had never moved. Well, that was anticlimactic.

"Drix, what took you so long?" Asked Jones in a patronizing tone, but the goofy smile on his face portrayed his true gratefulness. Drix merely shrugged as he stepped off the wood beam he had surfed down on, replying in the same tone Jones had.

"It took a while for Dr. Nor-I mean Abby, to hot wire the forklift we found" Spoke Drix, his tone betraying his new found respect for the abnormal doctor. Three heads instantly snapped over to where the crates had once been, greeted by the sight of a excited red blood cell seated in said piece of motorized equipment. They had found it not long after their conversation, and it took only but a moment after getting the machine up and running to find Jones and Ray in time for a grand rescue. Of all the conveniences in the world…

"Uh…great work Dr. Abby, Drix. Now, to tie up these suckers and call it a day" Announced an exhausted Jones.

o0o

"Very good job everyone. Looks like you managed to once again apprehend the villain and save the day" Andrew greeted Frank's Finest as he joined the small circle they made inside the storage house where they had waited for the S.F.F.F. to come, a mockingly polite grin on his face. It didn't take Dr. Abby's people very long to find the place, and now, under her orders, the S.F.F.F. were carting the apprehended criminals away, documenting and recording all the necessaries.

Thrax glanced down at Ray beside him out of the corner of his eye, seeing her tense up like she had before when Andrew had been around them last. For as much as he annoyed and aggravated her, Thrax was willing to bet that Ray just might prefer his company over Andrew's any day, though that probably wasn't saying much.

"Hello Drewey, glad you could make it to the party" Jones replied to the brain cell who came to stand near him, his face showing the same mock civility. But after a second the sarcastic expression turned into a reflection of his true feelings.

"Andrew, I told the mayor once already that this plan of his was crazy, but now I have the proof. Thrax has killed someone" As if on cue, a couple of S.F.F.F. workers wheeled a medical stretcher past the group, giving Mr. Aspleen a perfect view of the virus whose chest was punctured clean through. Once again, Thrax felt a smirk spread across his face, fueled by the grimaces of the cells around him and the memory of his momentary relief from the control he and others had put upon him. Andrew's face curled up in disgust for a moment, but then he soon turned to face the purple dyed virus, his expression serious.

"Well, that is distressing news. Mr. Thrax, I am highly disappointed in you" Thrax looked down at the grey brain cell across from him, his smirk falling. He did not regret what he did, he never regretted anything and he wasn't going to start now. It was a moment of staved off weakness that he succumbed to albeit it, but, if this slip up of his end up costing him, well, let it just be said that he won't be going down without a-

"Don't do it again" Andrew added. Without even a nod to anyone, the grey colored brain cell turned to start walking back to the limo that had taken him here, thinking his job done for the evening.

"Whoa, whoa!" Shouted Jones after Andrew's retreating form "Wait a minute here Andrew! Thrax just murdered-"

"A germ Jones. A germ" Andrew interrupted without even turning around, missing the faces of Frank's Finest fall into disbelief "Now, if it happens again, there will be repercussions, but as for this situation, it doesn't matter to me, or the mayor. Now, when he crosses the line, we'll be there to stop him, permanently" At this, Andrew turned around, emphasizing his words with a cold stare in Thrax's direction, making his meaning perfectly clear when his eyes glanced down at the hair thin bracelets that were still tightly latched onto the virus's wrists.

"But for right now, don't worry yourself about it" That was the last words from the mayor's right hand man as he finally left the building, walking outside to get into his car, leaving behind a once more disgusted and disturbed group of cells. Ray felt her anger rise up once more, but not for an infuriating virus or annoying cop. But all her anger, all her hate would not help anyone right now. With a glance over to Jones, who was in turn glaring at Thrax, Ray knew that she needed to try and help him, cause she knew he was right, especially after seeing what Thrax could do, what Thrax was willing to do. Seeing the virus return the glare the cop was giving him, Ray once more saw the silent conversation that flashed between the two of them.

_This isn't over Thrax, far from it._

_Of course Jones. Though, I am looking forward to its conculsion… _

Steeling her expression, Ray left the group behind without a word, chasing after the brain cell who had just left through the double doors seconds before.

"Andrew" She called out as soon as she was outside, stopping the suited cell just before he opened the door to his ride back to the office. Turning around to face her with an expression Ray might have been willing to label confused, Andrew let go of the silver door handle.

"Rachel, never thought I'd have you casing after me, at least, without a knife in hand-"

"Spare me your retorts Andrew, I want to talk. Actually talk" She told him as she finally came to stand before him, her arms crossed defensively in front of her. His confused air giving way to that ever slimy smile of his, Andrew nodded his head, signaling her to continue. Rachel took a deep breath, this was going to hurt.

"Andrew, I knew you once. And back then, you would have never stood up for this. You used to fight against this sort of thing, you used to want something better for Frank. For all of us…" Her tone was softer and kinder than she wanted it to be, but drugging up the memoires of that part of her life always had that effect on her. Andrew's smile faltered for a second, recalling exactly what she was talking about. But soon, a cold smirk won out.

"Trying to appeal to my better nature Rachel? You of all people should know how impossible that is now…" Ray's determined face wavered at his harsh words, but she tried to contain it. He was right. Really now, what did she expect? Hell, the fact that he just gave her an honest response was a miracle in itself, but trying to convince him? But, she needed to try, for Jones, and for the people whose lives were in danger so long as this crazy scheme of the mayor's was in play. How could that man honestly think that making a deal with a psychopath like Thrax could ever be beneficial for the city of Frank-

Ray felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist from behind and bring her in close, pulling her out of her thoughts. Instantly she tensed, her panicked face glancing up to identify who needed to learn a violent lesson about personal space. To her shock, it was Andrew, who had somehow managed to get behind her while she was deep in thought. He was not looking down at her, but his arms had now succeeded in bringing her to him, her back tightly pressed against his chest in a familiar hold.

"Andrew, what…what the hell-"

"Remember how long we used to stand like this together Rachel, and watch the stars that sparkled over the orphanage we lived in for hours on end?" Interpreted Andrew, shocking Ray into silence not only with his words, but by bring his unreadable face to rest against the side of hers. Rachel couldn't move, she barely could breathe. It had been many, many years since she had last found herself in this position, in this man's arms, and she did not like the returning feelings that came with it. Knowing that it would be impossible to convince him about the Frank's Finest matter now, Ray tried to get out of this situation with as little damage as possible.

"Yeah, and you sucked at being poetic then too. Now let go of me before I do something that you will regret" She bit back, turning away from his face to concentrate on the black limo in front of them, trying with all her might to resist the urge she had to smack the man into the afterlife. Ray could feel Andrew's chest rumble as he chuckled lightly, his arms wrapping even more tightly around her waist.

"Aw, come on Rachel, I know you still have feelings for me" He whispered into her ear, his voice coated with bitterness and amusement.

That did it. With a well-aimed elbow to the gut, Ray felt Andrew's grip loosen enough for her to slide out of it. Turning to face Andrew just as he managed to recover from her none to gentle attack, Ray felt her face grow heated with fury and indignation.

"Of course I do Andrew. Feelings like hatred, anger, disappointment and other such similar emotions" As that smile of his once more creeped on to his face, Ray knew she wouldn't be able to hold herself back if she stayed around. Satisfied that she at least tried to persuade the resentful prick of an ex-lover, she pushed past him, keeping her still angered gaze out in front.

"Likewise Rachel, likewise" Andrew whispered to himself as he watched the retreating form of Rachel as she went back inside, his expression cold. Straightening his red tie, the brain cell finally entered his limo, ordering the driver to take him back to the brain to report to the mayor all that had happened.

The now empty street that stretched out before the ware house that had held witness to Frank's Finest most recent case fell silent for a moment. But soon, a tall, black coated figure stepped out from behind the corner of the building, walking over to the spot where the two ex-lovers had just been. With a smirk, Thrax glanced from the door Ray had just gone through to the limo that was just rounding a corner out of sight. He had come outside to get a bit of fresh air and escape the aggravating glares of Jones and his partner, but just what does he find? An infuriated woman trapped in the arms of a man she hated. Interested to say the least, Thrax had hidden himself, watching and listening on the conversation the two cells had thought private. It appeared that there was much more to the doctor's bitterness then he thought, more to her. Turning to make his way back inside to once more put up with Jones and his incensed righteousness, Thrax chuckled to himself.

She was interesting, she was entertaining, and she made him curious. And he wanted to satisfy his curiosity...

~o0o~

Uh-oh! Thrax is starting to become a little bit too interested in Ray, what kind of wonderful trouble will this lead too? I don't know, I haven't written the next chapter yet! But I think that you all can imagine…

And what's this?! Did Rachel and Andrew once have something between them! Shock! (Now at least you guys are starting to get an idea why Ray herself hates Andrew's guts, and in the next chapter, a little bit more will be revealed!). I actually like how many of you guys hate Andrew's guts (I got requests that Ray set Zane on him!), cause I meant him to be that way, so by now you guys must really loathe him! And my oh, my! Thrax and Jones certainly aren't hitting it off so well anymore, guess that's what happens when two hated enemies start working together (yeah, I released that in the last chapter they worked together too well, so I decided to create a bit more drama).

Oh, and the 12-12-12 number was purposeful, cause when I was writing that part it had just actually turned 12/12/2012 12:12pm where I live! Cool huh?

And what's this (again)?! It seems to me that Drix and this new Abby character are hitting it off quite well, don't you think? Anyway, about Abby, she's actually a combination of my three best friends in the whole world (her name belongs to one, her personality to another, and her body to another as well. And none of them are aware that I have immortalized them in fanfiction, cause they would probably kill me if they were...). Oh, and yes, her name is Abby Normal. If any of you do not understand the reason why her name is so hilarious, go watch 'Young Frankenstein', directed by Mel Brooks, and then young one, you will thank me (again, this is a shout out to another friend of mine, aren't I the best?). Also, I am sorry for all those Maria Amino fans who liked her pairing with Drix, I never watched the Osmosis Jones show, and thus did not feel comfortable writing her character, so I made my own (cause Drix deserves a woman damn it!)

Oh, and sorry about the woman frisking scene. The things I have planned out for a chapter never seem to happen anymore, as the characters take over and determine what I write, and, well, let's just say that for this chapter it was a virus whose been coopped up for a long time took over this time...

Next up, CHRISTMAS! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! I love Christmas! And most of my characters love it too! Join Frank's Finest next time for Christmas shopping, graveyards, car trips, mistletoe, and snow! *This is the chapter preview for all you readers and commenters out there, cause since this chapter isn't going to take me that long to write I am not bothering with it* Also, I will be respectful of those who do not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday (which I admit I do), to those who do, and to those who celebrate different holidays this month. But if your someone who doesn't celebrate anything during December, well, just enjoy the character development!

Well then, same time hopefully, defiantly same place. Till then…

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Keep up the heat…


	7. Chapter 7 Christmas in Frank

Chapter 7; Christmas in Frank: 

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

Just wanted to say that this chapter was not only influenced by the wonderful holiday that is Christmas, but also by the Disney movie Hunchback of Norte Dame, which I had just recently re-watched after many years. It inspired me to write a church scene, and I think you all will like it (I will not have heavy religious tones in my story, but I think we all can appreciate the gothic architecture and atmosphere of a church or Mosque).

Also, I know that even though this only makes seven chapters and more than fifty thousand words, but I warned you guys in the beginning that I had great plans for this story (so thanks for the reviews, now, if only some of you were to fav…pretty please with a cherry on top?). I have the basic outline already written out, and it's about possibly thirty chapters worth. I just thought I'd warn ya guys, you've all been great, so here's a little gift...uh-ahem;

Jingle bells, Colonic smells, Andrew laid an egg! Fine mobile lost a wheel, and Thrax melted away! Merry Christmas!

(Last thing I swear, sorry that I kept telling you all that this chapter wouldn't take long to post. I suffered from a horrible case of writer's procrastination…that and Word lost this chapter and I had to retype it all over again...why me?)

~o0o~

_Christmas is a time to be thankful for what we have, to cherish who we love, and to remember what we miss…_

It was time. Through a crack of the thick curtains of her private floor, Ray could feel the sunlight shine through, gently warming her face. Without opening her eyes, she reached for the slumbering rabies virus who always slept at the foot of her bed, scratching behind his pointed ears to gently awaken him. Today was the day, and he wouldn't want to miss out. Finally risking opening her eyes, Rachel slipped out of bed, and made her way over to her private bathroom, her hurried pace prompted by the cold concrete floor.

It took a while, but soon a bathed, blow dried, slightly wavy hair parted heavily to the left, glassless, and robed Ray emerged from the bathroom, feeling more refreshed then she had in a long while as she hummed along to a Christmas carol.

"Dashing through the snow, on a one horse open sleigh…" Making her way over to her rarely used vanity desk, she sat herself down in front of the mirror, and got to work on her face. A light blush, deep red lipstick, black eye liner, dusky eye shadow, topped off with pristine black nails. Opening a jewelry box that unlocked with a slight creek, Ray pulled out a pair of simple silver hooped earrings, putting them on after removing the many black studs that already pierced her ears. Digging once more into the jewelry box, Rachel pulled out an antique circular silver locket, a single rose surrounded by thorns engraved on its cover. The cool touch of the necklet chilled her for a moment as she put it on, her eyes never leaving the simple necklace. It had been her mother's, and while normally she wouldn't be caught dead doing something so foolishly sentimental, this was the one day she would do it, and feel safe doing it.

Rising up from the vanity desk and over to her white wardrobe, Ray removed the silk robe she was wearing, feeling safe as Zane positioned himself by the stairs, all ready to go. After slipping on the under garment essentials, Ray stepped into a long sleeved, emerald green, V-neck wrap dress that ended at her lower thighs, the only dress she owned. Finishing her look off with a pair of black heels, a black scarf, and her usual black leather jacket, Rachel stuffed her wallet and phone into her pockets. Grabbing a bow topped present, and a single deep blue rose she bought last night off her coffee table, she went over to the stairs where Zane had been patiently waiting for her, ready to start the day just as she was.

She wasn't going to let anything ruin this day, the one day she allowed herself to feel cheerful, to feel jubilant, and more importantly, show it.

And then she went down stairs…

"Oh, come on Drix! We can't leave him here by himself, and I promised Leah that I would come with her to meet her parents for lunch today!" Complained a loud Jones as Ray stepped off of the stairs and onto the first floor. Unseen by the three other residents of the renovated hospital, Rachel and Zane walked closer, listening in.

"Yes, well, I have made an appointment for today as well, one that I cannot break" Drix replied, his face firm in his resolution to win out this argument. He too had a social life, albeit a recently awakened one, and he would not be saddled with the chore of watching a sadistic killer again.

"But we can't leave Thrax here by himself! Sure, a couple of hours at a time, but for a whole day! After the stupid stunt he pulled five days ago at the ware house, the prick does not deserve the hospital all to him-"

"Jones, I am standing right next to you" Said Thrax in a tone that made the simple observation sound almost like a threat. The old, familiar tension the two enemies had felt for each other had come back stronger than ever thanks to their little conversations back at the ware house, but mercifully, both men seemed to be in control of themselves for the moment, however much they wished not to be. Jones was about to reply to Thrax, when the sound of heels clicking sharply against concrete floor rose to their attention in the brief silence.

All three men turned around to see a woman clad in green and black, her long, silver hair in tussled locks, lips painted an alluring red. Ray didn't know how, but somehow she managed to keep a straight face as she saw three pairs of wide eyes blinking at her in disbelief, each wondering who the strange female before them was.

"Ray? Is, is that you? You, you're in a dress…and, and you look…" Jones tried to speak, but his tongue kept tripping him as his eyes grew wider and wider in bewilderment. Rachel, feeling the usual yuletide mischief bubble up within her, decided to help him out.

"I believe the words you are searching for Jones are something along the line of fabulous, beautiful, gorgeous, dazzling-"

"Like an actual woman for once" Jones interrupted. Unlike the coffee cup incident, Ozzy stood no chance as a fat leather wallet smacked him in the face, the doctor's aim having been improved much since last time. As Zane went to go fetch her wallet for her, Ray came to stand where Jones once had been before he hit the floor, greeted by a surprising silence. Not a stuttering comment from Drix, or even a bout of cruel laughter from Thrax at Jones's predicament. Was seeing her in a dress and heels really so shocking? Apparently...

"Miss Rachel, you look…very nice today" Drix finally complimented once Jones himself had recovered and Zane was back at Ray's side. He paused for a second, but then seemed to make up his mind about something, and spoke "Do you think you could help us settle a dispute?"

"Yeah!" Piped up Jones "See, I told Drix here that I had a date with Leah today, so he was gonna have to watch Mr. Psychopath, but then he comes over and tells me that he was an 'engagement' today, and can't!" Ray listened to what Jones had to say, at least, that's what she was pretending to do while secretly staring daggers at a red virus whose eyes refused to leave her legs "So now we're both stuck until we find a baby sitter for Thrax, and it ain't gonna be me!"

"Well, it will not be me either!" Drix said pointedly as he crossed his arms huffily. Rachel rolled her obsidian blue eyes; these two are Frank's Finest cops, repeat, finest. About to tell them to man up and accept the responsibility that came with being a protector of Frank, Ray caught sight of their faces. Under the childish anger, was desperation. Desperation to have freedom of their duties for just a day, a moment, to enjoy the company of those they loved or just themselves. Thinking back, Ray recalled that while she had her exasperating moments with Thrax, Jones and Drix had it much worse than she. They lived on the same floor with the damned virus, and had to watch him almost every minute of the day since he was found out to be alive more than a month and a half ago. Looking back up once more at their pathetically pouting faces, she sighed, damning the season of giving and being jolly.

"I'll take him" She said out loud. Jones and Drix stopped in their bickering to look at her, their expression pure astonishment for a moment. Thrax too, finally looked up at the good doctor's face, though his expression was not quite as readable.

"I got some errands to run, but it will just be me and Zane, so I can have Red here tag along" Ray added, feeling her uncharacteristic joy start to slowly die away.

"B-but, no Ray, you can't! I mean, that, well, what if…" Jones tried to argue. While it was true that he wanted a break from the virus, he didn't exactly want to push off the responsibility of watching a mass murderer onto Rachel. As he tried to continue in what they all considered normal now, Jones hadn't let his guard fall once in watching the virus, and even redoubled his efforts in trying to find Thrax's chain, and it was beginning to take a heavy toll on him. Even though it was apparent that he distrusted and despised Thrax more than ever for the stunt he pulled and got away with back at the weapon smuggler's ware house, Jones decided he was going to keep the deal he made with the virus, hoping that Thrax had pulled his last stupid stunt for fear of his viral life. He needed the psychopath out of his city as soon as possible, and if that meant prolonging justice that needed to be served upon the virus, then so be it, so long as he leaves, whether dead or alive. But, even though all this was beyond exhausting, he wasn't about to allow someone as defenseless...as…Ray…

"I am not going anywhere heavily populated, so he won't be seen. And I will have Zane with me, so if Red gives me any trouble, Zane will just eat him" Ray argued back more successfully. Jones and Drix fell into a contemplative silence as they considered her generous, and tempting, proposition. Thrax on the other hand merely stood back and watched them warily, having finally gotten over the delightful surprise that was Rachel's dress.

"Well, if it's not too much trouble…"

"It won't be" Ray finished for Drix. Though her tone was assertive, the two cops still didn't look convinced. But after another moment of contemplative silence, the two cops finally, almost reluctantly, nodded in agreement.

"Alright. But if he gives you any trouble, let Zane loose on his viral ass"

o0o

Thrax sat inside the car waiting for Ray while she finished talking to Jones and Drix beside the Fine mobile she was borrowing, wondering over the bizarre situation before him. His right hand twitched as it unconsciously searched for the chain it missed, his usual costume to twist it while he thought, but he forced himself to concentrate without it. For one, this situation meant sometime alone with the good doctor, and the thought of that alone was enough to make him smirk in enjoyment. But two, and more importantly, it was a chance to fix his current crisis. If he could prove that he was a 'good boy', out and about with Rachel, than maybe Jones and the cold pill might just get off his back some. Though he still did not regret what he did, he however did not like the repercussions of his, admittedly, unprofessional action, which included more glaring, less alone time, and more importantly, less assurance on his deal with the cop. Though Jones had yet to really tell him what had been going on inside that tiny thing he called a mind, Thrax could tell that Jones was now very uncertain about his offer, however committed to it. He needed to assure the immunity cell of his 'trustworthiness', and once more fall under the immunity cell's suspicion radar…

"Alright Red, looks like it gonna be me, you, and my rabid, overly protective pet today" Ray announced as she opened the car door, promptly sitting herself down at the driver's seat. Thrax looked up from the dashboard he had been concentrating on while he thought to look at the woman now beside him, his smirk coming back once more. Before he could comment though, Zane hopped up into the back seat, slammed the door behind him with his tail, and rested his head on the console in between the two seats. Glaring red eyes clashed against piercing yellow ones, and the two viruses expressed their feelings about each other perfectly without words.

"Sounds like a gas baby, but do we really need to bring the dog along?" Thrax asked as he continued to return Zane's glare while Ray buckled up.

"Yes. Cause one, this is usually the day we spend together, so really, you're ruining his day by being here. And two, if you try anything, and I mean _anything_, he will eat you" Zane let out a low growl in agreement to what his master said, his long spiked tail twitching on the back seat. Thrax looked away from the mutant mutt to smirk up at Rachel, who was already regretting her generosity, and nearly purred.

"Aw baby, I'll be a nice. Unless of course, you want me to be naughty…" Rachel cursed herself when she felt her face jerk in infuriation at virus, but took comfort when Zane let loose a warning growl at him. Thrax on the other hand, was back to returning the glare of the animal who hated him for some unknown reason as Ray started busing herself by starting the car, and driving the deep blue mustang out of the garage.

For the longest time the three strange beings rode silently in the car down an empty street, listening to the station Ray tactfully changed from the standard Christmas music.

**_Love me, love me_**

**_Feed the Flame _**

**_If you want me back again_**

Thrax glanced back at the woman next to him after a while, taking in her appearance once more. In her regular jeans and graphic tee, she was a rather simplistic beauty. But put in a low neck dress with waved hair, she could almost rival all the women he had come to know, viral or otherwise. As his eyes drifted down to her exposed legs, he wondered if it really was just her, or his interest for her that developed out of bored desperation that made her look so fine. Speaking of his interest, his curiosity…

"So," His voice was louder than he intended it to in order to speak over the music.

**_Right to the sky_**

"You and Andrew…"

**_Higher and higher_**

"Used to be together?"

**_Baby, can you play with fire?_**

If it wasn't for his fast reflexes, Thrax just might have crashed through the wind shield as Ray stomped on the brakes, harshly skidding the mustang to a stop. Once halted, Ray whipped her head around to face the dazed virus next to her, her long hair flying in all directions.

"Who the hell told you that?!" She practically screamed at him while turning the music off. Thrax was taken aback a second by her expression, it was beyond any he had seen of hers. The seething anger she had for Andrew, the annoyed glare she gave him, nothing rivaled this fuming, enraged expression on her now. And it might have been his imagination, but her obsidian blue eyes seemed to turn fiery in color, reflecting her rage further. Zane too looked surprised by this outburst as he scooted himself back off of the console his had nearly been flung on top off into the back seat, his eyes downcast.

"No one told. I heard and saw you two in the street after the weapons case" Thrax replied, startled but not the least bit intimidated or angered by the woman sitting next to him, now too experienced in emotional control around her to allow that. Her expression did not flinch, and she merely continued to return the curious glare he was giving her. Finally though, she turned to face the road, and commanded the car to drive down the street that thankfully no one else was on. The car was now completely silent as Ray tried to control herself, having a tough time recalling when she had last been this angry. Andrew and Jones could talk all they wanted about her temper, but neither of them knew exactly how deep it could go. The virus though, he now knew, and he knew about her and Andrew. Thrax's eyes never left the woman as she tried to ignore him, driving towards wherever she needed to be. Knowing that she was still seething, he risked it.

"So, were you two together?"

"What's to a virus like you?" She instantly bit back, not daring to face him in case she lost herself. Out of the corner of her eye though, she could see Thrax shrug.

"In all honesty, I don't really know baby. Boredom, lack of entertainment, curiosity-"

"Curiosity?" She asked, her anger immediately giving way to her own inquisitiveness, which she instantly damned. Again, out of the corner of her eye, she could see the deep red virus chuckle as his usual smirk graced his face.

"Yes. You're one strange cell, and strange things fascinate me…" Rachel rolled her eyes, but did not reply. Once more, she turned her full concentration onto the road ahead of her, using all her will power to try and ignore the virus still staring at her. Zane in the back seemed to take the silence as a sign that the tension from before had settled, and scooted his head back onto the console, his concerned red eyes trained on his master. Thrax kept silent, waiting for the doctor to react, knowing that it would be any minute what with her fingers impatiently drumming against the wheel, her patience being eaten away by irritation. He was right.

"The answer to your question is obvious, I mean, you saw…so why do I need to tell you what you already know?"

"That is true," He replied "But I want to hear it from you" His answer was not what Rachel was expecting, and for a moment she found herself at a loss. Feeling betrayed by her eyes as they glanced at the virus next to her for a moment, Ray forced them to concentrate on the road and the road alone once more. Thrax could tell that he wasn't getting anywhere closer to an actual answer from her by the steeled expression on her face. After a moment though, he came up with an idea, one that her own curiosity would not be able to refuse.

"Tell you what baby, how about you and I play a little game?" Ray scoffed, the harsh sound causing Zane to look up at her.

"And what makes you think I will play any sort of game with you?" Daring a glance in his direction as she turned down another empty street, Ray returned the smirk the virus was wearing.

"Because you won't be able to resist this game" He rumbled out, trying to cross his long legs in the short space the vehicle gave him "It will be a game of questions and answers. I ask you a question, you answer it truthfully-"

"That hardly sounds like a fun game" Interrupted Ray "What's in it for me?"

"I'm getting to that baby" Thrax chided, his tone coated in amusement. After combing his long dreads back with a clawed hand, he answered, his yellow eyes staring at the once again obsidian blue ones that refused to meet his. "Once you answer my question, you get to ask one, and I will give you an honest reply"

Thrax was right, she couldn't resist, he could see it in her face. As soon as he finished speaking he saw the change in her expression, switching from irked curiosity to unbearable intuitiveness. Ray bit her lip in thought of what her answer would be to this most tempting offer, missing the leer that grew on the virus's face as he watched her do so. What did she have to lose? There was nothing she was ashamed of, however secretive she was, and there was nothing she would tell him that he could use against her. And to be able to get a reply to any question, honest or not, from El Muerte Rojo was enticing...

"Fine" She finally replied, causing Thrax to wipe away his leer before she could see it.

"Well then, ladies first" He urged her with a gesture of his clawed hand, something akin to a charming smile on his face. Knowing what he was referring to, Ray braced herself to do something she rarely did even with those she called friends; tell the truth.

"To answer your question, yes. Andrew and I used to be together. We met in at an orphanage I was transferred to when I went into my second year of high school. We lived in the same building, attended the same school, and just ended up falling deep into stupid puppy love" Ray knew that she didn't need to tell him any of these details, just the minimum truth, but as soon as she started, she found she couldn't stop. That's why she avoided telling the truth, once you start, you won't be able to stop until it's all out, it was troublesome like that. Thrax didn't seem to mind one bit though, grinning and smirking as he merely listened, finding it all so bizarrely interesting.

"So, I answered your question Red. Now it's my turn" Ray finally managed to say once she regained control. After a moment of silence, she looked at Thrax once stopped at a red light. Instantly she regretted it, knowing from the smirk on his face that was exactly what he wanted.

"Ask away" He told her in a low purr, once more giving her a flourishing gesture with a clawed hand. Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Ray ordered the car forward with the now turned green light, wondering what she should ask. After a moment, she found her question.

"What's it like?" Taking pleasure in having the virus look at her confusedly for a second, Ray continued "Outside a body. What's it like the human world?" Once again, the sapphire cell managed to surprise the virus next to her as he wondered what prompted her to ask him about that. She could have asked him anything, how many he killed, how he was created, what exactly his powers could do, but instead she asks him about the outside world? Though amazed, Thrax answered her entertaining question.

"It's big baby, bigger than you could ever imagine" He told her as he placed his arms behind his head, closing his eyes to enhance the images of the world outside that flooded his mind now.

"Everything is stronger than you, and could sweep you away with a single bat of an eyelash. And though there ain't as many of them as there are cells in here, the humans swarm every inch of it all, and a million more viruses and bugs chasin' after them. It a fight every step of the way baby…" Ray tried to imagine what he was saying, but she was at a loss. She had never seen the outside, hadn't even visited the eye or the occipital lobe, but she doubt that what she see there would be able to give her the details Thrax was now freely giving her.

"So, my turn" Thrax said, interrupting the visions of gigantic sneaker clad feet that were running through Ray's head. "What broke you and the brain cell up?" Rachel could feel her face become flushed with anger once more, but this time managed to keep a lid on it. She did agree to play this game. However, that did not explain why he had chosen to ask her this particular, personal, question. But, again, she did agree to tell the truth, not pick and choose which questions she answered as she should have but now chided herself for not.

"He broke my heart" She simply replied, knowing that her tone would convey her unwillingness to say much else.

"Aw, poor baby. Men can be such brutes can't they?" Falsely comforted Thrax with an amused sneer, one that she returned.

"Yeah well, as the saying goes; women are like angels, but when someone clips our wings, we continue to fly on broomsticks. We're flexible like that" For but a second, something strange happened. They both laughed. Not cruelly, not jokingly, genuinely. As soon as she recognized the sound of the deep chuckle beside her though, Ray stopped, and heard Thrax do the same shortly after. Shaking the discomforting feeling that went through her as a reaction to the spilt second, yet unsettling event, Rachel asked her next question.

"My turn again. How did you learn to gild? Was it genetic, or was it something you learned?"

"Well now, that is a tough question, since I am not truly an airborne pathogen" Said Thrax once he too had recovered from the disturbingly genuine moment "Airborne germs are born with the ability to fly, with wings or what not, but not me. But there are many ways to copy that, this jacket for instance" The virus tugged at the lapel of his black coat, a rare, proud smirk forming on his face over his invention "Those high flyers just hate it when viruses like me can-"

Thrax didn't finish his sentence, for he sensed the car slowing down. Seeing Ray park the mustang along a vacant sidewalk, he looked out the window to his right, and he saw where Rachel had taken them all too.

A cemetery.

Why wasn't he surprised?

"I'll be back in a couple minutes Red, so it looks like you're gonna have to wait a few moments for your turn" Ray announced. Turning so she faced him fully, obsidian blue eyes meet golden-yellow in a stern stare "Stay" She told him firmly as if commanding a disobedient pet. Not waiting for whatever comeback he was surely cooking up, she got out of the car, grabbed the blue rose that had been placed in a cup holder, and opened the back door for Zane to follow.

Not having anything else to entertain himself with beside the radio, Thrax watched Ray and her viral pet as she went through the black iron gate of the massive sized cemetery. Just days to Christmas, and she visits a grave yard? His yellow eyes continued to trail Ray as she made her way down a stone path, the bar fence allowing and flat terrain allowing him a perfect view of the cell who was unaware of his observation. Seeing her stop at a pair of grave markers not far from the cobble path, Thrax watched as Ray placed the single rose down upon one of the aged markers, and start to talk.

"I always pick the weird ones, don't I?" The red virus asked himself as he looked away from the woman that chatted unheard to the markers, her rabid pet cutting away at the weeds that had grown onto the stones with black claws. Folding his arms behind his head as he closed his eyes to enjoy moment of absolute silence, casually pondering what his next inquiry of the good doctor should be. After a mere second of thought, the obvious question to ask emerged in his mind.

"I'm back" Announced Rachel as she opened the back door for Zane to hop in, her familiar and lively cynical voice interrupting the half dream state Thrax had slipped into during her long absence. Instantly aware and fully alert thanks to years of criminal activity, the virus watched as the sapphire woman sit back down in the driver's seat, unwrapping the black scarf she had twisted a little too tightly around her neck.

"Where to next baby?" Thrax asked, his yellow eyes flashing impatiently. Ray chuckled as she brought the engine to life, and willed the car back out into the street.

"I hope that wasn't your question Red, cause you're gonna be disappointed with the answer; that's for me to know and you to find out" Thrax drummed his clawed fingers on the console in between him and Ray, rolling his eyes in slight exasperation. The wait in the car had put out a bit of his once fully entertained mood, he didn't even know how long exactly she had been out there talking to herself, but to him it was long enough. He even had time to test his strength against the antibodies, finding progress in the thirty seconds of resistance against it he had gained before he closed his eyes to rest up before Rachel came back.

"Cute baby, very cute" Thrax growled back. Though recognizing the feral tone, Ray couldn't detect any malice or anger in it, just irritation and impatience. Seems the deadly virus had learned a thing or two about controlling tempers...

"Ask away" She told him in the same manner as he had before, complete with flourishing wave of hand and mockingly sweet voice.

"Your folks, what were they like?" Thrax asked, having been able to deduce easily who she was visiting back at the cemetery.

Once again, Ray was taken aback by Thrax's question. Didn't he want to know about Jones or Drix, whether they had weaknesses, or at the very least, allergies? As soon as the billion other questions that Thrax could be asking her drifted through her mind, Ray found her answer to them all; she wouldn't tell him. True, she 'promised' to tell the truth, but would Thrax really take her word for it? No, he was too smart for that she admitted. So, from his stand point, the back story questions where the 'safest' to ask, since she didn't mind truthfully answering them so much. Though again, as to why he asked about her history…

"Mom was a cop" She finally answered, knowing that there was nothing she was about to tell Thrax could ever be used against her "I have been told she was a lot like me; bitchy, snarky, and brilliant" Ray spoke in a tone that seemed almost endearingly respectful to Thrax as he continued to drum his fingers, their once quick pace slowing down as he listened to her continue on.

"She didn't have any partners because no one wanted to work with her, and vice versa. And then one day, she met my father at work. He was a brutishly clever kind of guy, and it was love at first fight" She told him with a hallow laugh "After five years of fighting, they got married, had me, and were shot dead in front of little me six years later to this day. Besides that, there really isn't much to tell…" The note that Ray ended on was not her signature cynical one, but more melancholy, which she instantly bit her own tongue for allowing that to slip out. She loved and hated the Christmas season, loved the universal, infectious joy it spread, and hated the lonely memories it stirred.

Thrax didn't say anything. He never knew what to say during these kinds of things. Not that it was uncomfortable for him, hell, he was sometimes the cause of such things as these, it was just that he wasn't used to seeing this side of it. In honesty though, it was oppressing the good mood he was just starting to slip back into. Thankfully though, the silence didn't last for long as Ray remembered it was now her turn.

"What about your folks?" She said, bringing the virus's momentarily wondering attention back onto her "What was your family like? I hear that it can be pretty cutthroat in a viral family"

"Wouldn't know baby" Thrax told her with a nonchalant shrug "Never really had one. Born and bred in a lab"

"What?" Ray asked astonished. How could that be, surely something as powerful as a virus that could, almost, kill a human in under forty-eight hours, could only occur naturally.

"Had me several thousand brothers and sisters created at the same time though, and they were a pain to fight off, what with our place being a tiny glass vial and all" Continued Thrax, enjoying the perplexed expression on the cell "We were developed in some top secret government lab in desert somewhere in New Mexico, created for the sole purpose of being used in biological warfare. They called us El Muerte Rojo, or the Red Death cause of the painfully high fever we caused. We were tested on all sorts of animals, and then eventually, we were mature enough for human trials" At this piece of news, Ray became very confused. She expected Thrax's tone to now start to sound proud, dangerous, or even mocking, but no, it was bitter.

"It took us a whole month, even though we all worked together. The humans weren't too happy about that. They wanted something faster, something more efficient, more deadly. So naturally, they terminated the project" Thrax fell silent for a moment, and Ray felt a the familiar worriedly twist in her gut as she glanced at him. He was bitter, bitter and very, very angry, his fingers had once more quickened their drumming pace, sounding like seconds ticking away on a bomb. His brothers and sisters had been destroyed, because they could not destroy fast enough, they could not kill fast enough for the humans. Everything he knew for most of his life had been wiped away because they failed to meet some cruel scientists standards. Though Ray knew that the feeling that was starting to wind its way into her gut was dangerously close to sympathy, she was intrigued by this new understanding of why Thrax did what he did, and why he did it with a smile.

"But you escaped…" She said quietly, knowing she was stating the obvious but hoping it would distract him none the less, figuring she should do that much for him at least. It worked, for it seemed to calm the heated feelings her question riled up in the virus as he let a toothy, sick smile spread.

"Yes I did baby. And every day since then I have traveled around the states, living proof that those government squints were wrong, dead wrong about project El Muerte Rojo"

After a little while longer of playing the game of questions and truth, the strange trio had reached the next their destination. Parking in an empty gravel parking lot next to an ancient, gothic styled stone church that towered over an abandoned neighborhood, Ray unbuckled herself and grabbed hold of the bow topped present before turning towards Thrax.

"Now Red, since you have been 'nice' so far, I'm gonna give you the option of coming with me this time. Whadya say?" Thrax met the obsidian blue eyes that looked into his unafraid, marveling at how bizarrely normal this day had been so far. Laughing, holding something akin to an actual conversation, and now she was giving him the option to join her on her whatever errand she needed to finish here. Well, now how could he refuse?

"I say yes, though I hardly figured you for the church going type baby. I bet you must have the most interesting confessions…" Ray didn't answer him, and just left the car, Zane following behind her. Climbing out of his side of the car to soon join beside the rabid pet that appeared to recognize where they were, Thrax watched the red eyed beast pounce about happily as they climbed up the front stone steps of the neglected cathedral, a cruel winter wind nipping at their exposed cheeks. Soon they reached the imposing mahogany doors, two bronzed lion door knocker looking back at them with cold metal eyes. Taking the ring in one of the lion's mouths, Ray rapped it against the arched double doors, producing a pounding noise Thrax could hear echo inside the building.

"Planning on seeing someone here baby?" He asked cautiously, not entirely fond of the idea of his supposed death being found false by some random citizen.

"You don't need to worry Red" Ray comforted with a falsely sweet voice "This man is very good at keeping people's dirty little secrets"

As if on cue, one of the doors opened, revealing candle light rows of dusty pews for but a second before a figure stepped into view. It was a stocky red blood cell only about a foot taller than Ray with white mutton chops and thick brows, a fat nose, chunky jowls, and black eyes shining warmly in the cloudy daylight. If it wasn't for the telltale white neck collar and black clothing, Thrax might have been suppressed into believing that there was such a man as Saint Nick.

"Father Stiers, how are you?" Rachel asked uncharacteristically affectionately, a rare toothy grin on her face. The confused expression that had graced the man's face when he answered the rarely knocked door was wiped away by a similar smile.

"Why, if it isn't little Rachel! How are you my dear? Oh, come, come inside, you must be freezing out there. Come, come!" He beckoned them all in with a stout arm and a thickly accented voice, resembling some ancient European language to the virus as he too stepped inside. As soon as everyone, including Zane, had shifted their way inside, the black clad Father shut the thick door behind them, leaving them all in the dim candle light. Ray instantly felt the tender feeling of nostalgia she held for this place, and began to wander down the worn stone aisle in between the two rows of pews, shedding her black scarf and leather jacket along the way.

"Little Rachel, little Rachel! Well, I should say not so little anymore, my how you have grown! You look just like your mother, thank goodness too, cause if you inherited your fathers looks I fear you may have not turned out so pretty…well, it is just so good to see you my dear!" Exclaimed the portly man in one breath, causing Thrax to wonder if he and the only other red blood cell he knew were somehow related. Ray spun around half down the aisle on her heels to face the old man, her beaming smile calming itself down to a polite grin.

"You say that every year I come to visit Father. Enough small talk though, has he already dropped it off?" Her tone became slightly serious as she glanced at Thrax for a brief second, and then Zane, seeing that the rabid darling was standing guard over the other virus.

"Yes little Rachel, he has, and he wishes to…" The old man stopped as he glanced at the much taller man at his right, finally noticing him. For a second Thrax was concerned the fat priest was going to start screaming in panic over his appearance, but then a mischievous grin spread on the old man's jolly face.

"Why little Rachel, it seems you have brought company, excluding Zane, for once. This most certainly is a first. Is he your…gentleman?" As he watched Ray's sapphire face tint to a lovely shade of red in anger and irritation, to which the candle light added much appreciated ambience upon it, Thrax decided the dog collared man was alright in his book.

"No" Rachel growled sternly, trying to hold back her temper from lashing out at the Father who made a simple mistake, albeit a very humiliating one as Thrax started to chuckle deeply.

"Well, no matter" Said the aged Father, still smiling despite Ray's accusing glare and Thrax's eerie chuckle "All are welcome in this house, however bizarre or…" Black eyes darted for a split second at the now quieted and imposing form of the red virus "…deadly" Before Thrax even had time to ponder about just how much information this man of the cloth was privy too, he went over to join beside Rachel in the dim light that was pouring through a stain glass window.

"So, do you wish me to place it in the usual spot, and trade it for what he left you?" Asked the black clad man, his eyes darting down the gift Ray still had in her hands.

"If you don't mind, thank you" She mumbled as she passed the gift off into the hands of the Father, who promptly left after scratching behind the ears of Zane, who purred in delight at the familiar red blood cell. Now alone with only two viruses as company, Ray let her eyes wander around, taking in the familiar sight of the church. Thrax was right, she wasn't really the church going type, but when she was younger, her parents visited this place all the time, even when the neighborhood fell into destitution with the declined health of Frank. Father Stiers was an old family friend, and even had the honor, as he put it, of marring Eve and Draven, her mother and father. There were very, very few people her parents associated with when she knew them, and the old man was one of them. Glancing at the now empty spot where once stood a stone angel she had broken years ago on accident when she and Zane had run away from the orphanage or the hundredth time, Ray turned her gaze onto Thrax, his approaching footsteps interrupting her memoirs.

Not many things truly surprised Rachel, very few things shook her to her core with astonishment, but if she was to be truthful, the sight before her did. As the red virus stepped into the light that shone through a stain glass window behind them, bright patterns of colors reflected onto his imposing face. Yellow eyes outlined in red light, pointed cheeks in blue, smirk bathed with green, it was a most unsettling sight. The black clothes Thrax wore washed out in the light, leaving only his discolored face and wind tussled dreads, but that alone was enough to make Ray a loss for words, and breath. She wouldn't say he was a handsome sight standing before her, bathed in colored light, but he was an unearthly one. Obviously her thoughts were written across her face, for Thrax smirked wider at the short woman he was now in front of.

"Little Rachel?" He asked with a twist of amusement in his voice. It took a Ray a moment to collect her thoughts about what the hell he was talking about, and a couple more to gain enough control of an unusual eeriness that ran through her to speak as he stepped closer.

"Yes. And if you dare repeat that to any other living creature, I will have Zane chew your fuc-"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Thrax tut-tutted before she could finish her threat, his yellow eyes dashing about in feign apprehension "Careful baby, we're in a church" Ray rolled her eyes, now fully recovered from whatever happened but a second ago. Before she could come up with any sort of sardonic retort, Father Stiers returned.

"It seems smaller this year little Ray, but then again you never really were too fond of when he gave you extravagant gifts" Said the old man as he approached the three in the colored shadow, handing off a different, and smaller bow topped present to Rachel. Looking over the tiny box for but a moment, Ray gave her thanks to the Father, and gave him an affectionate goodbye.

"Farewell my dear, please come and visit me sometime soon. I shall tell you if our mutual friend visits me again, and merry Christmas little Ray..."

o0o

The rest of the day went quickly, Ray driving them all down empty roads for Thrax's sake, stopping for hot chocolate and beef jerky for Zane, and hitting every single traditional spot she needed to visit. It was strange how normal it all was as well, Thrax and Ray continued in their game of questions and truths, satisfying each other's curiosity, and sometimes even holding something close to an actual casual conversation both inside the car and in the few shops Ray dared stop at. But soon, the short winter sun started to set, and so the strange trio made their way back to the abandoned hospital they had no choice but to call home. They were just about to enter through the imposing double doors that led to the scrounge lounge, when Thrax stopped.

"Do you hear something?"

"Hear what?" Asked Ray as she gently took hold of the book she had bought just bought at an antique store as a gift to Leah from Zane's mouth, hoping she rescued it in time from his acidic saliva.

"Sounds like…Jingle Bell Rock" He said, his tone apprehensive. As she opened the door for them all, Thrax's fears were confirmed as they stepped into the scrounge lounge, finding it anything but scroungy. Everywhere there were Christmas lights, from the windows to the metal bar rafters, cheap plastic wreaths decorated the walls, and green and red candles illuminated the room filled with the sound of novelty yuletide songs.

"Hello Miss Rachel! Glad to see you made it back in time!" Cheered Drix as he poured some eggnog for Leah, whose waist had Jones's arms wrapped affectionately around.

"Dr. Rachel! It is so good to see you again!" Shouted a familiar southern accented voice. Seeing Dr. Abby step out from the kitchen to join beside Drix, it became apparent to Thrax and Ray just what exactly was the 'previous engagement' that kept him from babysitting the red skinned virus.

"In, in time for what?" Asked Ray as she cautiously stepped forward, her eyes blinking at the sight that was Abby's short, yellow sequins dress.

"For Frank's Finest Christmas party of course" Said Leah, her tone not so excitedly as Drix of Abby, but rather sympathetic, knowing from firsthand experience how much Ray loved surprise parties filled with chatty, overly friendly people. She told Jones and Drix that it was a bad idea from the start, but after the two men enjoyed most of the morning and all afternoon with the girls, they felt they owed it to Ray.

"Yeah, Merry Christmas Ray, and a happy new year doc!" Announced Jones as he let go of his girlfriend's waist to take the small bag of gifts Ray's conscious forced her to get for the bizarre company of, dare she say, friends she kept. Leah walked over as well, her dark purple heels clicking sharply against the concrete as she came to stand in front of her best friend, ignoring the Thrax, who still had yet to leave. But by the expression on his face, his departure was to be very soon. Joy, love, peace on earth and the good will towards cells that permeated the air overwhelmed Thrax who was beginning to feel like he would need to punch a thousand holes into concrete walls just to feel like a virus again. While the Christmas season wasn't really a bother to him, hell, it provided an excellent diversion from the more festive cells, but right now when it was glaring him in the face with all its yuletidiness, it was just too much. Before he could make his hasty departure though, Jones, who was now still standing in front of Ray with Leah, looked up.

"Oh! Uh…Ray? You might want to move away from that spot…" His tone of concern caused everybody except Ray to look up, and a collective gasp went through them all. Even Thrax looked up, though his reaction was quite different from the others, but still just as wide eyed.

"What? Why?" Rachel asked as her eyes slowly followed everyone else's. Head craned back, she could see what had made the others stiff with tense silence. A sprig of spiked leaves crowned with berries and topped with a red bow hung down from the ceiling; the yuletide terror itself was right on top her. Thankfully though, no one was near her save…

Ray knew she would regret it, but still her eyes darted to the only being within six feet of her, her gaze crashing into the sickly yellow that was Thrax's eyes. He was leering, by Frank he was leering at her. She couldn't take it.

"No way! No way in heaven, earth, or hell! Don't anyone even dare think about…just don't anyone dare!" She shouted, sounding somewhat panicked to the delighted and leering virus, who had just found one aspect of the winter holidays he didn't mind so much. But of course, having learned that leaving him behind was the best way to avoid a flirtatious comeback, Ray gruffly marched straight towards the eggnog, hoping that it had a high alcohol percentage. The others followed her too, knowing that Thrax would most likely slink off to some dark corner to brood or smirk soon enough, and leave them all to enjoy a rare moment of wintry joy.

o0o

Several alcohol infused hours had passed before Ray decided to leave the small, but festively lively party. She could only take so much of Jones's singing and Drix's pathetically cute attempts to impress Abby with his knowledge of all things. That, and now that the delicious leftovers Leah had brought over from the lunch her parents had made in excess when she and Jones dropped by for a visit were all consumed, the couples had settled themselves down onto couches to enjoy a movie and cuddling opportunities. Deciding that 'Edward Silica Hands' or the 'The Gene Who Stole Christmas' were not worth putting up with the whispered sweet nothings, Ray had decided to check on some tests she had going on back at her lab.

"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…Jack Frost nipping at your nose…" She sang quietly to herself for fear of someone hearing how much the season had a hold over her, or that Zane would wake up from his much needed nap at the sound of her voice. Though trying to be quiet, her smoky, alto voice carried in the empty hallway she walked down, her heels echoing off of the walls. Today had been a bizarre day, and even though she spent the majority of it entertaining a deadly virus and chasing after an easily excited Zane, she thought it all in all a rather good day as well. The empty hall stretched out in front of her, but soon enough she had reached the end of it, and was about to pass through the turned archway that led to her lab, when she bumped into something solid and muscular.

"Watch were you're going Jon-" Exclaimed Thrax before he saw that the tiny blue tinted figure that bumped into him had silver tussled locks and wide eyes surrounded by smudged eye liner.

"I think really it's your fault for sulking about in archways Red" Ray retorted back, cursing the alcohol's effect on her comebacks. Seeing that there really was no point in trying to top that pathetic excuse for running into him, Thrax turned back to the wide window that replaced the archway wall that was facing the front courtyard of the hospital. About to leave, Rachel caught sight of what Thrax was watching. Snow, thick cottony flakes dropping from the sky in a flurry, coating the ground in white.

"Wow…we never get snow…" Ray marveled as she stepped closer to the window, forgetting that the virus was even there, not that he minded too much as it presented something more entertaining to watch than frozen water. Her dress had slipped somewhat off of her right shoulder in her obvious intoxication, and her waved hair nearly covered the entire left side of her face, hiding her wonder filled and slightly flushed expression from him.

"The gift exchange at the church…that was for your 'friend on the other side of the law'?" He found himself asking, if only to break the silence and his stop wandering eyes that disobeyed his commands to look away.

"Yes" Ray muttered instantly, forgetting that they quit playing the game of questions and truths a long time ago. At the mention of the gift exchange, Rachel reached up to grab at the second necklace she now wore, her gift from her friend, the words 'You Are My Heart ~D' inscribed on the back of the twisted metal heart. Thrax spied the piece of jewelry the woman now started to turn about in her fingers just like he would have with his very much missed chain, watching the rhythmic movements of her hand for a silent second.

"But you didn't get anything for me? Aw, I'm hurt baby, I'm hurt real bad" Thrax said in a mocking whine, his yellow eyes flashing mischievously in the darkly lit archway. Ray chuckled at the pathetic tone of the virus who now placed himself on the other side of the window, having thought him incapable of that tone of voice.

"Do psychotic killers even celebrate Christmas? Besides, I didn't think you were the gift giving type"

"Nah, I'm not" He replied with a shrugged with a smirk "Guess my heart is just two sizes to small" Ray chuckled once more at the admittedly clever joke the virus made. Turning her gaze back out on to the now completely snow covered court yard of the improvised hospital; Rachel felt a strange impulse bubble up inside her.

"Well, I guess even a psychopath like you deserves a Merry Christmas Red" She announced as she pushed herself away from the chilly glass window she had been leaning upon, making her way past the virus who was smirking wider at her left handed and alcohol influenced wishing of a happy holiday upon him.

"Back at you baby" He muttered back as she left him behind when she turned down the hallway to her lab, thinking about how the hell she was going to assess tests when she could barely walk straight. Thrax turned back to the window, sending quiet curses towards the chilly snow that would surely cause him problems, and thinking over the extraordinary events of the yuletide infected day.

~o0o~

Christmas! Yeah! Happy Holidays everyone! Again, I would like to apologize about how long it took me to get this chapter out, my computer decided it was time for Word to crash, so, yeah...but anyway, I hope to soon make it up to you all with the next chapter (I don't really know when I will be able to get it out, what with Christmas and New Years literally right around the corner...hmmm, I bet some more favs for my story would help...ha, kidding!)

Anyway, the Father Stiers character is a shout out to the voice actor of the acrhdecon in Disney's Hunchback of Norte Dame, who also had a lead role in M*A*S*H (check it out, it is die hard funny!)

Well, well, well now! It seems that Thrax is just becoming more and more interested in Rachel, and now that they both learned more abut each other, it seems that their is a chance the feeling is vice versa...mwahahahaha! (I don't know why the evil laughter, its late on Christmas Eve and I am high on egg nog and santa shapped sugar cookies).

So, see you guys hopefully next time, definatly same place, but until then...

3:*)

*(:-{)}

(*0*) (me singing you all an annoying christmas song)

Keep up the merriment in here!


	8. Chapter 8 The Monsters Inside

Chapter 8; The Monsters Inside:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

Back to college now, ah, another semester of learning, yah! As expected, chapter posts will now be slower, but trust me when I say the gritty, and, um…steamy, chapters, are gonna start happening soon (hehe, Phantom of the Night 117, four more chapters…mwahaha). But for right now, word of warning, Chapter 8 and 9 will be kinda dark and rather sad. But, like I said, the next ones will be a ton of fun, so hang on till then! As always, thanks for the reviews, favs, and all that jazz, you guys are great!

Oh, and folks, as you can probably guess, I am not a genius. In this chapter, there are a lot of things about the crime Frank's Finest solve that are very bizarrely convenient. But, again, this is a fanfic about cells solving crimes, so just enjoy!

~o0o~

_One moment, one action, can make you regret ever living. One wrong choice can turn you from a human, to the monster you never thought you would become…_

It was red.

It was string.

She was going to have to run for it.

And the day started so normal too, so peaceful. She and Drix were talking about his latest experiment, which was to upgrade his cannon arm so it could fire the standard immunization rounds the police used, when who should call? Andrew of course, with a case. Apparently, bits of a cell's body had been discovered stuck in the lower right gum during a routine inspection, so all of Frank's Finest were ordered to the mouth, where Andrew and Dr. Abby would be waiting for them all with a paid off saliva boat crew and the S.F.F.F. on standby. However, Andrew failed to inform Jones, who was the only one surprisingly patient enough to answer his calls, that she was going to need to dive to recover the body bits, them being trapped far below the water line and the S.F.F.F. members too inexperienced for that kind of evidence recovery. Thankfully though, despite it being winter, she would be able to go down in a wetsuit, and more thankful still, Dr. Abby had brought along a swimsuit that she could use that Abby swore would fit her.

But it was red, and string, her clothes had been tucked away in a dry bag already, the actual wet suit was outside, and it was snowing out there. And to make things even worse, Thrax and Andrew were standing just outside the bathroom she locked herself into to change, along with the other members of Frank's Finest.

She was going to have to run for it, and run fast.

"Yo! Ray, did you drown in there or something? Hurray it up girl!"

"I'm coming!" Ray shouted from inside the saliva boat's deck accessible bathroom, looking over her reflection in the mirror that hung above an impossibly small sink. She hated to admit it, but she was actually rather embarrassed. Ray wouldn't exactly label herself a modest girl, hell, she wore cut off shirts and the like all the time, but a red string bikini sized for someone that puberty was inordinately kind to in the middle of winter? It was just too much…

"Miss Rachel? If you do not hurry, than Frank may awaken from his nap, and we need to be out of here before that in case he yawns…" Drix said on the other side of the door, making Ray jump.

"Fine!" She shouted back giving her reflection one last horrified look over. Dear Frank, Thrax and Andrew were going to have a field day with this fine mess she had gotten into…No, no, damn it! She was a doctor of pathology, she had put herself through med school by working three minimum wage jobs, she had climbed her way up to head of staff, if she could do that, than by Frank, she could walk out there, ex-boyfriend and perverted virus be damned. Hand on the handle, she opened the door, and strode out.

And walked right into a muscular chest. Damn it all to hell, she knew she shouldn't have taken off her glasses…

"Ah, there you are baby, I was just about to bust the door down. I knew that women take a long time to change, but you…" The voice of the shadowy figure that towered over her grew silent, and to her horror, Ray recognized the figure's voice as belonging to Thrax. Though she could not see them, she could feel those sickly yellow eyes look her up and down, causing a shiver to join the goose bumps that plagued her skin by courtesy of the cold winter air and snow.

"Well, well, well, what have we got here?" Thrax leered out slowly, his purring tone somehow managing to make it seem like Ray never wearing a string bikini before now a heinous crime against all male-kind. The still blushing Rachel couldn't care less about the virus's tone though, for having finally gotten over her shock of running face first into Thrax's chest and stepped away from said toned torso, she was now trying to step around him and the others who had gathered closer upon seeing her on deck finally.

"About time Ray! Hurry up and get diving before Frank wakes up-Whoa! Put a shirt on girl before you poke somebody's eye out!" Exclaimed Jones as he saw Ray, his expression one of complete surprise at learning Ray was very much a woman. Though she desperately wanted to throw back the brilliantly sarcastic comeback she cooked up in her head, Rachel's mind was on other matters than getting even with Jones, like glaring daggers at Thrax and Andrew.

"Just shut up Jones" She finally managed to growl out as she forcefully pushed through the barricade of friends and enemies to make her way over to where her wet suit was waiting for her. One hundred percent certain that the sadistic virus and her loathsome ex-lover where staring at her backside, Ray forced herself to hurry up. Left behind by the still open bathroom door as Jones, Drix, and Dr. Abby went over to help Ray get ready to dive, Thrax noticed he was not alone.

"Chilly day, isn't it Mr. Thrax?" Announced Andrew beside Thrax as he flipped up the collar of his jacket to brace against the January wind and slowly descending snow chunks. The thick brows of the virus cocked up at the grey brain cells strange attempt at trying to start a conversation.

"When people try to start a chat by discussin' the weather, they usually mean to ask about something entirely different" Commented Thrax as he examined his claws in feign boredom, the 'chilly day' having no effect on him whatsoever thanks to his curbed infectious powers. Smirking at the virus's keen insight, Andrew joined Thrax in continuing watching Ray, now all suited up, jump confidently into the ice cold water with a 'Bonsai!'.

"Remarkable woman, isn't she?" Andrew asked, this time his question more direct "Brilliant mind, adorable cynicism, and owner of the finest pair of legs in this body"

"Haven't noticed" Thrax replied casually as he turned to face Andrew, his intuition telling that the Mayor's lackey was about to reveal something, but what?

"Yes you have Mr. Thrax" Rebutted Andrew without missing a beat despite the imposing sight Thrax's burning yellow eyes presented "You see, I have been watching Rachel even before the Mayor's 'Frank's Finest' scheme. She has been a…personal interest for some time now, so do not think that I haven't notice someone else single out her as well" Thrax didn't know what the hell the brain cell was trying to drive at, but as he watched Jones and Drix join Dr. Abby by a laptop to watch Ray's progress on the underwater camera, he knew was about to find out whether he wanted to or not.

"Get to the point, cell" He spoke, his voice low. Andrew smirked.

"Very well Mr. Thrax. To sum up, you and I are not the only ones who have a persistent interest in Rachel. She is not only a valuable commodity to the Frank's Finest team, but a personal concern of our sponsor. In other words, she is very, very valuable"

"And just why is that something I need to be aware of?" Asked Thrax as he glowered down at the cell that stood in front of him, understanding why not only Ray but the others highly disliked him. He was just full of bul-

"Because if you do what I am about to tell you, there will be a bonus coming your way sooner than you expected" The virus's eye brows lifted once more in interest, nodding for Andrew to continue in the short pause of silence that passed.

"Since Rachel managed to get herself taken hostage by Freddy, and then was put into undesirable danger thanks to your actions at the warehouse, our sponsor would feel much better if you kept an even closer eye on her. Become her personal body guard, watch her, protect her. Do this, and maybe in a couple of months, maybe even weeks, your chain might once again be in your hands. What do you say?" Yellow eyes widened at Andrew's words as Thrax listened intently. So, the mayor obviously had more planned for the gang of misfits than just cleaning up Frank, and it had to do with Ray. Smirking about the thought of making yet another deal with an annoying cell for the third time, Thrax snickered.

"Normally I would politely ask some questions or torture you until you spilled everything your pain in the ass boss had planned for me, but, seeing as I still have these on" He tapped one of the hair-thin black bracelets with his claw to emphasize "I don't think I got much of a choice but to say yes. One question however," Continued Thrax as he crossed his arms across his board chest, an interrogative look on his face.

"Protect her against what exactly?" Andrew smirk grew wider, a throaty chuckle escaping as he turned to start walking over to the other side of the ship.

"Everything. Especially herself, she tends to be a most…dangerously unpredictable person" Thrax returned the smirk Andrew had turned away with, knowing from firsthand experience how true that was. About to walk in the direction opposite Andrew and head towards Jones and the gang to see what was happening below, the virus heard the brain cell clear his throat.

"Oh, and, one more thing Mr. Thrax…hands off" Before Thrax could turn around to question what he meant by that, Andrew had disappeared around the deck's corner, and out of sight. Deciding to think on cell's comment and the new deal later, Thrax made his way over to the circle of good doers, peering over their hunched shoulders to watch the laptop screen.

"Looks like Ray is just about to resurface with the body" Announced Dr. Abby in her thick Southern accent. Drix, Jones, and Thrax turned to face the boat edge Ray descended from, waiting to hear the sound of the surface breaking.

"Any second now, she is by the boat, and…" The sound of water thrashing could be heard over the side, and something flew out of the water, right into Drix's hands.

"Aargh!" He shrieked as he let go of the dismembered head that had fallen into his grip, causing Abby to react quickly and catch it in an evidence bag before any more damage could occur to it.

"What, what the, Miss Rachel! What were you thinking?!" Drix shouted to Rachel as she climbed aboard, saliva dripping off of her and her equipment. Ray rolled her eyes, and swallowed the apology she was just about to give the cold pill before he shouted to her in that tone. She didn't mean for the decaying head to fall into his grip, she just wanted to hurry up and get the already digested skull out as soon as possible, it being the only bit of evidence she could recover. But now it looks like she was going to have to taunt him.

"Come on Drixie, don't let a little thing like that get you all worked up. Besides, like my mother used to say, it's always best to get a head" She told him as she dropped the heavy oxygen tank off her back, throwing her goggles to the side. Jones, who truthfully was also shocked at seeing a head without a body fly through the air, suddenly was pulled back into reality, and joined Ray in the opportunity to tease his friend.

"Yeah Drix, don't be giving Ray any lip!" He chided friendly as Rachel bent down to take off her fins.

"Keep your eyes on the prize Drix" Said Abby, not wanting to be left out, especially seeing as how his bewildered and shocked expression looked just too precious. Guess the old saying was true; friends, they're like enemies, except enemies treat you better.

"The doctor nose best!" Spoke Jones again.

"That's true, so don't be so cheeky"

"You just got to grin and bear it!"

"…people like you are the reason I'm on migraine medication" Drix mumbled as he decided it was time to sit down beside the cabin wall, pinching the bridge of his nose in a desperate attempt to push the irritation and stress out of his mind.

"Anyway, great catch Dr. Abby" Complimented Ray as unzipped the upper half of her wet suit so it would actually be possible to move her arms. Shedding the sleeves and pushing the rubber suit down to her lower waist, Ray took the evidence bag from Abby gently, her inquisitiveness about the head making it easy to ignore the fact that she only had a bikini top to protect her against the falling snow.

"Hmm…appears to have been a nerve cell, from the spine I think. Facial structure suggests male, and by the amount of decay, I say he has been here probably about two days max. Lucky for us, the cause of death looks to be right here on the skull. There is a large section of the left parietal bashed in by what appears to have been a blunt square object with a sharp spike in the middle of it, about the size of a tissue box. Odd shape really" She rambled out loud to no one in particular, a calculative glint in her eye as she examined the head within the plastic bag. Thrax stepped closer to the gang as they looked over the same head, though obviously missing the clues that Ray had seen. Fascinated as the same expression she had on when they first officially met outside the morgue took over her, the deal the virus had just made with Andrew came back to the forefront of his mind. Just what was so special about this girl? Sure, she had her entertaining moments, and in a red bikini she could really ignite a man's desire, but in the overall scheme of things, she was just a cell, nothing more. Once again, there seemed to be much more about this woman than anyone, including herself, realized.

"Dr. Abby, does that laptop have access to the dental records of Frank?" Ray asked, pulling Thrax out of his thoughts.

"I believe so, but unfortunately, we do not have any X-rays to compare the-"

"I think I can read the serial number for this gold filling that managed to survive digestion" Interpreted Ray as she pried open the broken jaw of the hairless skull, not phased in the slightest as the others looked on in disgust, save for a composed virus.

"Since the numbers are assigned individually, it shouldn't take us long to find out who this guy was" Stepping over closer to where Abby had the laptop set up, Ray waited while the red blood cell searched for the website.

"Okay, read off the numbers Dr. Rachel" Abby announced after a few minutes.

"9-0-7-4-2-6-1" Ray read off as she squinted into the decaying mouth, noticing Jones curl his lips up in disgust at having it so close to where he was standing. Abby pressed enter, and the whole gang was left in silence as they waited to see if Rachel's idea would work. Soon enough, a ping was sent out from the laptop, signaling a match.

"Got it!" Said Abby excitedly as the others, including Drix, gathered around "Appears Dr. Rachel was correct, the head belonged to a Mr. Mark Bendett, worked in the spinal nerve section of the L3 lumbar vertebra, was apparently head of nerve signaling there. Lives in the same district, with his wife Hannah and three kids" Abby fell silent at this, as did the rest of the gang. Damn.

"I, I got it Ray" Said Jones finally.

"No" She told him gently as she put down the head on the table beside the laptop "No, I got it Jones. I'm used to being the bearer of bad news. But I would appreciate you or Drix coming with" Thrax looked on at the cells and cold pill in confusion as their faces fell into what he would call melancholy, expressions paled. What the hell had their tongues in a twi-oh. Wife and kids, cops, good people, right. Well, looks like he wasn't going to be needed then, seeing as how he was not exactly the pinnacle of sympathy. Guess he could go mull over all that Andrew had just told him, maybe even tune up the racer some more…

o0o

It didn't take Frank's Finest long for Ray to change into her regular attire of jeans and cropped tee while they dropped off Drix and Thrax at the hospital, and soon she and Jones where heading towards the spine. The bones of the body were where the real prized real-estate of Frank was, and the closer to the central nervous system, the swankier it was. Driving by what must have been the seventh million dollar home on the street, Jones parked the Fine mobile in front of the house that held the address they were looking for.

"You still want to be the one to say it?" Jones asked one more time as they both got out of the car. Ray merely nodded, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to say. This was the part that hurt, this was the one thing about her job she hated, but, it was also the most important. This was why she did what she did, she searched for the truth and told it, because as painful as the truth could be, never knowing was a thousand times worse. She knew that better than anyone.

A few steps up the pavement path found the two white blood cells at the front door of the two story Victorian styled house. Jones pressed the doorbell gently, hearing the sound echo throughout the house. Soon enough, it opened.

"Can I help you?" Asked a woman who appeared to be in her late thirties, hair cut short and nose sharp.

"Mrs. Bendett?" Asked Jones composedly.

"Yes. Are you the foster parents that called-"

"Ma'am, F.P.D. May we please come in?" Intruded Jones before the grey nerve cell could say more, flashing his badge as per protocol. Instantly the woman's welcoming face wore away, and one of concern started to creep out.

"Uh, oh, of course. C-come in, please" Mrs. Bendett stuttered out, to shocked to question why they had come to her home like most who see the police show up to their doorstep. Stepping inside, Ray could see the inside was just as lavished as the outside, though not to the point to which it became distasteful. If anything it was rather humble, though expensively humble. Following the slim woman as she led them through the corridor and into a windowless living room, the two F.P.D. employees examined their surroundings.

"You're a social worker?" Asked Jones as he walked closer to the couches the woman had gestured them to sit. She nodded.

"Uh, yes. I have been so for about ten years now. I do love it" Mrs. Bendett spoke, becoming more and more nervous as to why the police had come to here. Ray drifted over to a table pushed against the wall at her left, finding it filled with pictures of children, dozens of pictures of children.

"These are the kids you found homes for then?" Ray asked, noticing a trophy in the middle of the table's display, the words 'For Being the Compass Needle That Pointed Many Children to Happy Homes for the Past Ten Years' inscribed on its tissue box sized base. Like the plague read, the statue placed on base was a thick compass needle, pointing up like a golden spiked beacon.

"Again, yes. See, I was an orphan myself, never adopted, so I know what it was like to not have a home, a family. It made me work harder for them I guess. Even got me a trophy for it, just last week in fact" The woman said with a nervous laugh, gesturing to the pictures of smiling kids. Ray nodded and smiled politely, thinking about she could have used a woman like her back when she herself needed a home. With one last look at the trophy, which she could not help notice being a week old looked a little paint chipped, Ray walked over to the couch Jones and Mrs. Bendett had come to stand by.

"Look, I enjoy a nice chat as the next person, but, what is this all about?" Mrs. Bendett asked, her tone becoming slightly aggravated. Ray sighed, she could hear the three kids playing in the next room, she hoped that they could not hear them.

"Mrs. Bendett…I regret to inform you that at precisely 9:36 this morning, your husband was found dead in the mouth" Rachel said as she looked the woman in the eyes, standing straight and composed, though inside she felt anything but. Mrs. Bendett's eyes widened and her mouth fell open in shock. Grabbing the couch's arm like a life line as she fell back onto the couch, a horrid gasping sound came from the woman as she tried to breathe.

"How…I, I just saw him yesterday! He left yesterday morning for a business trip to the brain!" Mrs. Bendett started to shout as she finally found her voice, panicked tears welling up in her eyes. Stepping over to sit down beside the bereaving woman and take her hands in hers, Ray tired her best to comfort her, knowing that it wouldn't really help.

"I am sorry for your loss Mrs. Bendett, but, but I saw him myself. It appears to have been quick…" Jones watched the two women from his place in front of the couch, his sympathy reaching out for not only the now widowed wife, but his friend as she tried to give some form of comfort to her. It went on like this for some time, Mrs. Bendett so distraught that she buried her face in Ray's shoulder, the sapphire woman comforting her with 'Go ahead and cry, We'll find who did this, and I'm here Hannah'.

That was Ray for you, she would never tell you that it was all going to be okay, or that things will get better, because she knew; sometimes it never did, no matter how much you wished they would.

o0o

The car ride back was more than silent, it was still. Without a word or even a glance, the two white blood cells made their way back inside the hospital, Jones to the scrounge lounge, Ray to her office. Once calm enough, Mrs. Bendett answered all the regular questions; did your husband have enemies, was he involved in anything, can you think of a reason why someone would do this, she giving them answers that didn't point to anything promising. Knowing Jones would be doing nothing but working on this case with Drix, Ray too sat herself down at her desk over in the corner, and poured over the slim medical file of a Mr. Bendett.

Hours passed as Ray switched between what paper work she was able to draw up on Mr. Bendett and examining the head that Dr. Abby had been so kind as to leave ready for her on an autopsy table. Faded music played while Ray worked, helping distance herself from letting too much emotion build up within her. Despite how many times she did this, it never got easier. Things like examining the bashed in skull of a father never did, just like watching a wife grieve for her husband. Though surrounded by grief, Ray tried to not show hers, notwithstanding the fact that she had her fair share of it. Like her mother once said, scars and wounds do not heal by telling the world how much they hurt, but by finding someone who could patch them up and help you move on from them, even if that someone is yourself.

Ray sighed as she put down the x-ray of the skull she had just taken, standing herself up from the desk chair she had been sitting still in for over an hour. As she walked over to once more see what she could find in the head wound, a thought occurred to her. Mrs. Bendett had also lost her parents, just like her, only now she tired her best to find homes for children like them, give them an actual childhood.

And then here she was, surrounded by the dead, trying to find out who killed a man and then disassembled his remains and tossed them into the mouth. So different. Mrs. Bendett helped children find people to help them move on, she tried to find out the truth of what ruined their lives in the first place, both women trying to offer something that neither of them had in their youths. Mrs. Bendett might have the tenderer and happier job, but Ray knew this was her place. She could never work anywhere else, though most other people would rather hide from it, she herself needed truth, and she was certain that deep down, everyone did too.

The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.

Rachel was just about to give up on the skull wound and move on once more to reread the paper work in case she missed anything, when something glittered at her. Peering closer as she moved a bit of flesh away with her tweezers, she saw the something wink at her again. Grabbing the movable eye glass that was suspended above the table, Ray's vision zeroed in on a gold speck.

"Oh Frank…" She whispered as the pieces came together in her mind, solving the puzzle she was now wishing she had never been involved in.

"Jones!" Ray shouted as she ran over to the scrounge lounge, gripping a corked test tube that held the gold speck for all she was worth. She had worked quickly to hurry up when it came to digging the clue out, knowing that it was very possible for the murderer to be gone by now.

"Jones, dammit, get out here!"

"What the hell is it woman?!" Exclaimed Jones as he jumped up from the couch he had been sitting at like a spooked cat. Marching over to him, her face alight with grim resolve, she showed him the test tube.

"I know how Mr. Bendett was killed, and I think I even know who did it" She told him firmly. The wide eyed surprise that was on Jones's face from before calmed down, replaced with resolution. Looking over to Drix, who had managed to remain seated on the couch Jones himself had just launched from, Jones nodded solemnly as the cold pill closed the laptop they had been working on and strode over.

"Good job Ray. And even better timing. I was just about to come over and tell you all I and Drix managed to dig up. We found a suspect, and a very, very strong motive. If you are thinking of the same person I had in mind then-"

"Sadly Jones, I think I am" Interrupted Ray as she pushed past both Jones and Drix to head towards where her coat was hanging, time being of the essence.

o0o

They gang arrived back at Bendett home just in time, for Mrs. Bendett and her three children were in the drive way, apparently getting ready to leave. Pulling over on the sidewalk in front of the lavish home, Drix, Jones, and Ray walked calmly over the woman who stopped stuffing suitcases into her car as soon as she saw them. Not allowed to ever be alone, Thrax made for the shadows of the side of the home to conceal himself, yet keep close enough in case something went horribly wrong.

"Mrs. Bendett, going somewhere?" Asked Jones as he came to stand by the car, his tone indicating that Mrs. Bendett was not going to leave anytime soon. Ray and Drix came over to where Jones stood, their faces stern and unmoving despite the still falling snow's best attempt to chill them all.

"I-I was going to head over to my mother's, I needed someone to watch the kids while I try to figure things out…"

"Mrs. Bendett, why don't you tell your kids to go inside for a minute? We need to talk" Ray stopped her harshly, her eyes locking with the elder woman's. She nodded her understanding, and shooed the three now nervous and confused kids back inside before she came back over to the three.

"What is this about officers, I thought I answered all your questions?"

"How long did you know about Mr. Bendett mistress?" The woman fell into silence, her nervous fidgeting stopping instantly at Jones's question. She looked like she was just about to protest, when Rachel stopped her.

"Before you try to deny it, you should know that Drix and Jones here have come across some very interesting security footage of you, your husband, and a third party arguing in the parking lot of a motel Mr. Bendett's bills have shown him to be frequenting at least three nights a week" Ray warned her, burying her anger for the woman she still felt sympathy for. Duty first, bitter emotions later. The nerve cell's face became down cast, her eyes becoming watery.

"Three weeks" She admitted as she leaned back exhausted against her car.

"Tell us what happened, and this time, keep the fake tears to a minimum" Ray told her, voice cold. The woman sighed heavily, the weight of the situation pressing on her like the world had collapsed.

"I knew he had someone besides me before that, I just didn't know who. Then two days ago, I followed him after work, and saw him meet up with…her. I told him that if he stopped now, than I would give him a chance to make things right. The next day he came home, and started packing his bags" Started Mrs. Bendett, tears falling despite Ray's words "I told him not to go, that I loved him, the kids needed him. But still he was going to leave. I couldn't lose him too, he was my husband, I loved him damnit!" She shouted, beating her fist against the top of her car. Mrs. Bendett had been lying to them the whole time, but as the tears continued to fall down her grey worn face, Jones couldn't help but believe her grief was real, her tears true.

"You grabbed the trophy" Ray continued for her, once again feeling empathy for the woman creep back in spite of her attempts to keep it buried.

"I didn't mean to…I was just so, mad. I didn't know what I was doing, only that I didn't want him to leave me behind, like so many other people had" Silence once more descended onto the front lawn. In a moment though, the sirens of the S.F.F.F. could finally be heard catching up with Frank's Finest, and Jones decided it was time to wrap thing up.

"Mrs. Bendett, you are under arrest…"

The next few minutes were painful to watch as the S.F.F.F. and their leader Dr. Abby went through the routine of arrest, securing what evidence could be found inside the house to commit the guilty woman. Ray, knowing that her part in this now solved crime was done, walked over to the side of the house, seeing Thrax still hiding there in the shadow. Maybe he could say something stupid and make her angry at him, and thus forget for even a moment what she had just done.

The truth healed, but first it would put you through hell.

"Looks like a job well done baby, so why the long face?" Asked Thrax as Rachel came to stand beside him in the shadows. He had not really been paying attention to what was happening before she came over, instead spending the short moment he was hiding away to test against the antibodies. A whole minute this time, not bad in his opinion, maybe he wouldn't even need Jones or Andrew to get back his chain for him…

"Nothin', just post-crime blues I guess" Spoke Ray with a halfhearted smirk that drew the virus out of his thoughts.

"Never figured it would end up being a cell, especially seeing as how after she killed her hubby she chopped him up to bits and dumped him in the mouth. Kinda harsh" Admitted Thrax after a minute as he watched the outwardly normal looking mother of three being led into the backseat of a police car, Jones and Drix overseeing her. Ray let out a hallow laugh, so much for him trying to distract her. Then again, why did she think that he would ever do what she wanted him to do in the first place?

"Some criminals aren't always viruses Thrax. Some are people much like me, like Jones, who made one mistake that could never be taken back, no matter how hard they wish it could" She told him, though why she just didn't try to change the conversation, she didn't know. Ever since their game of questions and truth a couple of weeks ago, talking with Thrax became something fairly easy to do. Hell, the two of them holding, for lack of a better word, normal, conversations was a rather common occurrence now. Thrax looked down at her, taking in the expression she looked out onto the yard with. His acute memory recalled that it was just like the one she had when she was talking about her parents; sad, yet now there was a twinge of regret embedded in this one. Yellow eyes flickered with curiosity.

"What is it that you want to take back baby?" He asked, his uncannily keen ability of knowing just what was on her mind not surprising her in the least.

"…being born" She finally answered as she saw Dr. Abby gently lead the three children into a car that would take them to their grandmother's. Their faces were the same as hers was that day, wide eyed with shock, trying to understand how their lives had managed to change forever in just a few short minutes. Thrax's eyebrows lifted up in confusion at the small woman's confession, and as he watched her walk away from the shaded side of the house to go join Jones and Drix, he shook his head.

Whether they would end up finding his chain or if he found it himself, Thrax knew he would have to at least pretend to go along with Jones and Andrew's deals. But how, how in the world was he supposed to protect a woman who regretted her own birth? Not wishing to ponder himself into a headache, Thrax left the side of the house, the plot now empty save for Frank's Finest who all decided that some Royal Diner comfort food was in order.

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

Ah, another chapter done! And guess what folks, I got the whole plot figured out! Hurray! Before, I only had the major plot points planned and spaced out, but now I have the filler and funny chapters figured out too! The whole story is very likely going to be 33 chapters and is so action packed, so awesome, that I know you guys are just gonna love it! I even have the ending figured out (It's amazing, trust me, there's gonna be explosions)! I guess that's the cruelest part of reading fanfic though, cause while you guys have no idea what's going to happen, I know everything, and thus am okay with me taking over a month to post the next chapter…hehe I am evil.

Anywho, let's look at this chapter. Yeah, sorry that it was rather dramatic, but I wanted to get into why Ray did what she did. And as for Thrax making a deal with Andrew to protect Ray, well, let's just say that's gonna provide some excellent funny and, ahem, intimate moments for the two. Hehe.

Oh, and the line 'The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable' is attributed to James A. Garfield, I love fancy quotes, don't you? The one at the beginning of the chapter is mine though, in fact, all the quotes except for the first one used as a chapter starter are all mine, aren't I brilliant? :P

Well, like always, same time hopefully, defiantly same place. Till then…

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Keep up the heat…


	9. Chapter 9 Betrayer Mine

Chapter 9; Betrayer Mine:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

**Important!** This is a musically interactive chapter folks! When I give a signal in the story, that will be your clue to go look up the song and listen to the song to enhance your reading experience in this chapter (None of the songs are a perfect match to the mood I want to set, but they are pretty damn close, as well as pretty damn good songs, in my opinion of course) The songs and their respective signals will be:

'Hello' by Evanescence. It's the first one to listen to as the story begins, so might as well get it playing now.

'My Immortal' by Evanescence. Signal is 2.

'Try' by Pink. Signal is 3. (Think about the flame that burns as her past feelings)

'Break You Off' by Uncle Kracker. Signal is 4. This song is on the playlist I gave you guys, and for you fans with incredible memory, it was the song that was playing in the Osmosis Jones movie when Jones and Drix were fighting off Thrax's would be men in the Zit (always loved that part, especially when Drix comes in and is all 'Uh-hu, uh-hu, surrounded!' but also when Thrax says the word 'messy'. IDK why, but it always made me laugh)

Another rather sad and admittedly over-dramatic chapter folks, but this one has a much happier ending than the last, so, like always, enjoy it, review it, fav it! And once again, thanks for all the lovely comments from all you lovely people! You guys are all…well, lovely!

~o0o~

_Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go. - Hermann Hesse_

_There's no need to miss someone from your past. There's a reason they didn't make it to your future. - Unknown_

He was mad. Angry, seething, infuriated at her, for telling the truth.

"Why is this so hard for you to accept Andrew?" Whispered Ray in the privacy of her room at the orphanage, the drawn curtains leaving the couple in complete darkness save for a single lamp pushed in the corner.

"Why?! You want to know why?! Because it changes everything Ray, everything!" Andrew bit back, pacing around the bed Rachel had sat herself down at. In the back of her mind, Ray was worried about Andrew's loud tone attracting attention, but she was more concerned about them at the moment.

"No it hasn't. I am still me; you just now know everything about me!" She told him as she stood up to grab his arm, stopping his pacing. Turning him around so he was looking down into her eyes, the troubled sixteen year old girl tried to calm her lover, her best friend, down.

"I wanted you to know everything before we…we went on…" She blushed, looking down at Andrew's bare chest that rose and fell with his distraught breaths. She was never one for heavy petting, never seeing what really the point to it was when all it ever caused was trouble for others her age. But finally after two years of knowing each other, she was not only ready to take the next big step in their relationship, but to also tell him everything about her, every little secret. Andrew's eyes flickered down to look at the hand grabbing his arm, uncertainty and anguish clouding his grey eyes. His head started to shake, as if he thought he could throw out all he had heard.

"I, I just, why you? Why did you have to be a…_Viscel_?" Ray flinched at the harsh word that Andrew whispered, never before hearing that cruel name come from him. Her patience with the temper tantrum that complicated what was supposed to be a sweet first for them ran out, and she picked up his chin with a gentle hand to force him to look back into her eyes.

"Because people can't choose their parents Andrew. But even if I could have, I never would have wanted to be anyone else's daughter. I know that you were hurt, scarred, by people like my father, but I am still me. And I still love you" To translate her strong feelings into action, she wound her arms around Andrew's neck, bringing him close. Unable to curb the instinctual habit, the young brain cell's arms wrapped around Ray's waist, gripping tightly to the shirt he was just a few minutes ago trying to unbutton.

"I love you Andrew" Ray whispered once more, nuzzling gently against his neck like she had done so often before. She felt his arms loosen their grip on her, and she pulled back to look at him. His unruly hair covered his face, hiding his down cast expression from her.

"Well, say something dammit" Said Ray, his silence a thousand times more unbearable then when he had been shouting.

"I love you too Ray" He finally whispered. A small smile broke out on the young woman's face, the paleness of her worried expression coloring itself in her relief. Just as she was about to return to nestling against his neck though, she felt a hand take her shoulder. Looking back up at his face, she could see his eyes, paling once more at seeing how cold they were.

"…but I hate _them_ more"

Ray felt a cold grip tighten around her, forcing out all her breath as she started to shudder.

"Wha-what are you talking about? Come on Andrew, lets jus-"

"They took everything from me. They ruined my life" Interrupted Andrew as he pried off her arms, his eerily composed expression looking calmly down at her panicked one.

"And you're one of them" He turned, leaving behind Ray as he made for the door.

"No, no Andrew" Ray pleaded pathetically, trying to find the strength to reach out and stop him, but her body lost the will to move.

"Don't go, dammit! I love you Andrew! Andrew!"

Ray's eyes snapped open as she bolted up from her bed, her breathing rushed. Her frantic movement woke the sleeping rabies virus by her legs, causing him to twist over onto his belly, staring at her with concerned red eyes. Rachel looked around, observing that she was alone in on her floor of the hospital, the moonlight peeking through her thick curtains, and not back in the orphanage. Fully comprehending that she was in fact awake, she fell back onto her bed with a dull thump, hoping that a dreamless sleep would soon overcome her. Feeling Zane wiggle his way up to nuzzle her face as a way of comforting his obviously distressed mistress, Ray sighed as she reached out to scratch his ear to show that she was alright. It had been a long time since she had that nightmare.

"…I really hate that bastard" She commented before she pulled the blankets over her head, images of her dream still drifting in her mind as she closed her eyes.

o0o

"Any of you guys seen Ray?" Jones asked a busy Drix in the kitchen and a reclining Thrax on his couch. It was another beautifully bizarre day in Frank this morning, and even though Jones appreciated the lack of coffee cups aimed at his head, he could not help but wonder why he hadn't seen Rachel this morning.

"I have not seen her come down yet. I think she may still be asleep" Answered Drix as Thrax merely returned his attention back onto the sketch pad on his lap, to intrigued with the new body design he was drawing for his racer to pay attention to Jones.

"Hm, weird. Normally she's the first down. Unless of course, she spent the whole night in the lab again" Jones mused out loud to himself as he went over to the kitchen counter, sitting down at one of the stools. The second he did so, a loud shuffling could be heard coming down the stairs, accompanied by the pitter patter of clawed paws. All three men looked up to see Ray, wearing her usual sleeping garb of a tank top and sweat pants, and Zane step off of the stairs.

"Holy Frank Ray, what the hell happened to you?" Asked Jones as he noticed how listless her normally grumpy morning expression was. It was worse than that time she was up for the Freddy murders, worse in that she looked even deader than dead, if that made any sense. Her eyes, which were surrounded with the purple rings of a sleepless night, flickered with burning ire at Jones's greeting, proving that for as lifeless as she looked, she still could hear.

"Bad dream. Don't talk. Give me coffee. Now" She told him with a growl, her voice still threatening despite it being coated in drowsiness. Obeying her words faster than the speed of light for fear of his life, Jones handed over the cup of black coffee he himself was just about to take a sip from over to Ray. Downing the glass in one desperate gulp, Rachel felt comforted as the hot beverage warmed her with its raw caffeine.

"Uh, Ray?" Timidly asked Jones after she downed the new glass Drix had handed her. She looked at Jones, her expression now one of just annoyance instead of wrath, giving him a nod as a signal that it was safe to continue.

"Andrew called" The white blood cell jumped as Ray slammed down the empty mug onto the counter, but bravely continued "We got a case, appears someone has been leaking secrets for price up in the brain. Nothing big yet, just sort of minor scandals and private information, but the Mayor wants us to catch who is the leak before it gets out of hand"

"Do you need me?" Ray growled, knowing that if he answered yes, then her day as well as his was about to get a lot worse.

"No. But Drix and I are going to meet Leah up in the brain, so we need you to stay here and keep an eye on _that_" Jones indicated to the virus that was tactfully keeping himself out of the view of Ray, the sound of a pencil scrapping against paper coming from his turned back. Though pretending not to listen, Thrax smirked at Jones's words. He was still mad about the warehouse incident, and since then has continuously tried his very best to make it perfectly clear how mad he was every chance he could. But Thrax was not worried about their deal or him for that matter, not in the slightest. In the end, Thrax would get his chain, whether through Jones or Andrew, or even just by himself, and then he would burn this body alive, along with everyone in it. Well, maybe not everyone…

"Sure. I think I can manage that" Spoke Ray, receiving relived smiles from both Jones and Drix.

"Thanks Ray, we'll be back before you know it, trust me" Rachel let out a hallow laugh as she grabbed an apple to stave off her morning hunger, scratching the produce sticker away with her black painted nails.

"I stopped believing in boys who said 'trust me' at age sixteen" Jones didn't know what she was talking about, but decided to let it slip seeing as how Ray looked to be dead on her feet as she shuffled away to get dressed for the day.

o0o

2

She couldn't concentrate. The harsh words she hadn't heard in years kept replying over and over again in her mind. Ray hadn't even seen Andrew since the Bendett case a week ago, but the one relived nightmare flooded back everything she felt for the brain cell.

Pushing herself away from her paper heavy desk in the morgue section of the hospital, Ray walked over to one of the file cabinets that was pushed against the opposite wall. Her sneakers padded quietly against the checkered patterned floor, and she couldn't stop the flash back that went through her mind.

_"Come on Ray, hurry" Pleaded Andrew in a whisper as he took her by the hand, gently pulling her across the checkered floor of the dark kitchen._

_"What if someone catches us?" She asked, her eyes darting all around as if the very shadows would tattle tell on them and get them in trouble with the staff of the orphanage. Andrew chuckled as he pushed back his unruly locks with his free hand, still guiding Ray towards the window where the emergency stairs where placed outside of. He had a stereo and a case of Ray's favorite soda to celebrate her fifteenth birthday set up on the roof top, and he wasn't going to let her nervousness stop his surprise. _

_"Seriously? You, punk looking, dirty mouth, boxing, rabies pet loving you, are scared of getting into a little trouble? Where's your spunk?" The smirk that crossed Ray's face made Andrew want swallow his words, not only finding the mischievous look devilishly attractive, but also worrisome._

_"Is that a challenge?" She asked, taking the lead as she pushed her way past Andrew to open the kitchen window. The brain cell chuckled as he followed her though the now open window._

_"No Ray, it's an invitation to snuggle underneath the stars and talk of young romance"_

_"You really suck at being poetic, you know that?" She retorted, squealing with laughter as Andrew took his revenge on her comment by tickling her exposed sides as they climbed the stairs. _

_As Andrew thought, Ray loved her birthday surprise. So much so in fact, that she thanked him later the next morning…with a kiss, the first of many. _

Ray kicked the metal file cabinet, causing a dull thud to echo throughout the morgue. Dammit, she couldn't concentrate. Quickly opening up the cabinet and grabbing the file she needed, she stormed her way back over to her desk. Working, she needed to work, to get her mind off of him. But how could she when every corner of her mind was filled with him? Even in her happy place he was there, the bastard. She has hated him for years for what he had done to her, and yet her mind still kept the memories of their short two years together well, making her relive every moment of it as she sat alone at her desk.

o0o

After another three hours of pretending to do work, Ray decided to give up. She was now sitting alone in the scrounge lounge, Thrax off in the garage tuning up his project and Zane busy chasing pigeons in the hospital courtyard.

Sitting on one of the many couches, Ray looked down at the small wooden chest in her lap, glancing over its contents. It was the only thing she had ever bothered to keep from her years in the orphanage, having out grown her cloths and sentiments a long time ago. But for some reason, this chest had managed to remain throughout the years, its inside packed with meaningless trinkets and souvenirs of past memories.

Picking out a ribbon that Andrew had once tied her long hair with after she commented on how she hated how it always drifted in front of her face, Ray wound the silk material through her fingers, her face expressionless. Taking her other hand, she pulled out a small photograph of the two of them, she and Andrew smiling as wide as they could as they posed for Leah at Frank's city center park, a place they often skipped school to hang out in.

Dumping the stuff she had not looked through in over ten years back into the chest, Ray sighed, wondering if there was anything that would snap herself out of this depressive and pathetic funk.

3

_Moving on would_

Ray closed her eyes, and she let the strange strand of thought that appeared in her mind continue; wanting to see what conclusion it would lead her to.

_You hate him _

That was obvious, and this inner chat with herself wasn't really helping like she thought it would.

_You hate him, because you still love him_

If Ray wasn't thinking to herself, she would have slapped whoever she was talking to. But then again, she prided herself on truth, and deep down, she knew that what she had just confessed to herself was true, however much she wished it wasn't. And she wished it, a lot.

_You loved who he was, but he moved on and changed, so you need to move on_

"How?" She asked out loud, her voice echoing throughout the empty room.

_Let go, let go of everything, even your hate_

Ray opened her eyes, looking down at the chest in her lap. It seemed so simple in her head, but she knew better than to hope that such simplicity could be attainable in the real world. But then again, what the hell? Closing the chest, Rachel stood up, and headed for where her thick winter jacket was hanging.

"Ahh…much better" Ray sighed as she warmed her chilled fingers by the brightly glowing fire she had going. She was right, something as simple as letting go didn't immediately fix her, but she sure as hell felt a lot better. Turning away from the fire so her back could warm up, Ray saw Jones and Drix pull up to the front of the hospital, parking the car by the abandoned sidewalk.

"Uhh, Ray? What are you doing?" Asked Jones as he came closer to the bonfire Rachel had going in the courtyard, his and Drix's expressions extremely puzzled.

"Oh, just…letting go of a couple of things. Hey, hand me that can of kerosene would ya?" Handing her the can as per her request, Jones watched wide eyed as Ray dumped the container's remaining contents on the fire, causing the flames to shot up to the grey sky. The two men decided not to continue to question Ray's odd behavior, knowing that they probably didn't really want to hear the answer she would give them, and just watched silently as she stoked the fire higher with a blackened log.

"Did you find the snitch?" Rachel asked after a few silent moments.

"Yeah," Jones begun, his voice betraying his disappointment "Nothing as grand as our last couple of cases, just a disgruntled intern who thought he could make a couple bucks" Ray nodded her head in agreement, that was rather anticlimactic ending for a case, but oh well. As enforcers for the law, they should be thankful to have it so easy every once in a while. Looking down at the circle of snowless ground that surrounded the fire, Ray noticed the silk ribbon from before lying untouched. Without thinking on any past sentiment or feeling any malice, she simply used the burnt log she was still holding to move the accessory into the fire's grasp.

"Ray, are you sure you are alright?" Asked Drix as he took a couple steps back from fire, finding its blistering heat too intense for him.

"I'm good Drix" She told him with a smile before she turned to go back inside "In fact, I am feeling the best I have in a long, long time"

~o0o~

After chatting with Jones and Drix for a couple minutes about their short lived case while she fed Zane an early dinner, Ray decided she needed to relax some more. And for the short, sapphire colored, knife throwing forensic pathologist, there was nothing more relaxing than beating the shit out of an innocent boxing bag in the private gym and then steaming it up in the sauna.

Having changed out of her jeans and cropped tee-shirt for a pair of yoga pants and a white tank top, Ray enjoyed herself fully as she gave the fifty pound heavy bag another well aimed round house kick. While she preferred to defend herself with a weapon rather than just her bare hands because it was safer, Rachel did know a few good, and dirty, moves. Her father and mother taught her a lot when she was little, feeling that despite she was just a kid that she should still know the basics of fighting that had so often saved their hides. She even had taken up a few boxing courses in college to continue in what her parents had started, though she had to quit when it just became too expensive what with med school.

Giving the bag a left hook that caused it to bounce away from her, Ray grinned as she remembered how one day Andrew saw her practicing what her parents had taught her and tried to teach her a better way to throw a hook. She ended up accidently giving him a bloody nose, but he laughed and stated that she most defiantly didn't hit like a girl, to which she smacked him on purpose for saying.

Ray stopped the swinging bag with a firm hand, her smile falling away. She had just thought about Andrew, and yet she didn't feel bitter or miserable. If anything, she felt…okay. Not great, but okay. That fact alone made her feel infinitely better as she returned to beating the bag, her long hair flying about with her quick movements. Heck, maybe burning those keep sakes really did do the trick, or maybe it was that oddly timed dream. Whatever started this, she was grateful.

There was just one thing though. She had been so hung up on hating Andrew for so long, what was there left for her now? Sure, she would probably still hold a grudge against Andrew for being such a jack ass when he dumped her as well as a natural repugnancy for the jerk he was now, but now that she had finally decided to wise up and move on, what would happen? Though she would never admit it to anyone but Leah, who already knew, Ray's romantic life was practically dead. After Andrew left her, she spent all her time and attention on becoming the best she could be in the forensic, for personal reasons as well as to honor her parents. And even though she got more than a couple of invitations to dinner throughout college and even at work, she shot every single offer down immediately. Guess she didn't want to risk meeting another guy who would love her and leave her once they knew everything about her, or more accurately she just found the guys annoying or repulsive.

A bitter smirk crept across her face when the disturbing thought that maybe the kind of guy Andrew was, was the only guy for her, and even that didn't work out right in the end. Ray punched the bag harder, letting out a satisfied grunt as she heard the bag tug against its chain in protest of her treatment of it. Maybe there wouldn't ever be another guy for her, maybe there would be, either way she shouldn't care. Cause if there was ever a guy for her, with the way she was now, he would have to be one twisted psycho to put up with her attitude and cynicism.

"Nice swing baby" A dark, husky voice complimented from the other side of the gym. Turning around so fast that for a moment her loose hair blocked her view, Ray spotted Thrax standing at the edge of the large wrestling mat with his usual cocky grin. He was for once not wearing his usual turtle neck but instead a sleeveless low neck grey shirt, showing off some very muscular red arms.

"But, you were a little shaky on the recovery. If you were in a real fight, someone better than you could take advantage of that" Thrax continued as he wrapped his clawed hands in strips of white cloth, getting ready for his daily workout routine. Ray scoffed and smirked at the virus who smirked back at her, and was just about to tell him off, when he beat her to the punch.

"You happy punching the bag, or do you want to go a few rounds with me baby?" He said casually, though his purring tone told Ray that his offer was anything but casual. Taking satisfaction in seeing Ray stare at him in wide eyed disbelief for a second, Thrax decided to clarify.

"I meant sparing" Ray let go the breath that she didn't even know she was holding, and rolled her eyes. She was about to tell him off, again, but then Ray stopped herself. A sparing session with the deadliest, and admittedly strongest criminal in all of Frank. It was a tempting offer, who knows what she could learn. Thrax grinned triumphantly as he saw Rachel begin to bite her bottom lip, a personal habit of hers he had come to know very well in their every once in a while conversations together.

"Why the hell not?" Ray eventually shrugged as she threw her boxing gloves away so she too was only left with white cloth wrapped hands. Watching Thrax walk over to the corner where the stereo was kept, Rachel couldn't help but think over why the virus was doing this. Her answer came when the song Thrax picked stared to play and he turned towards her, his face fixed in a barely reigned in leer.

4

"You ready for me baby?" He questioned, his dark yellow eyes flashing with wicked mischief.

"Always Red" She replied as she took a stance, bringing her fists up to guard her face.

He didn't play around with any fancy foot work, just headed straight for her. Seeing him rise up his right hand to jab at her face, Ray swiftly ducked, only to end up colliding with Thrax's other hand as it landed hard on her side. He wasn't going to go easy on her.

"Got to do better than that baby. Come on, try to impress me" Thrax chided. As much as he wanted to enjoy himself and give the good doctor a little tease, he did have a very good reason for offering her a sparring session. Seeing as how he was now in charge of 'babysitting' her, Thrax knew that there was no better way to always protect someone than to teach them how to fight, and win. And though Ray managed to recover from his blow and step away quickly before he could punch her side again, she was rusty at best.

"Well, since you asked…" Thrax didn't even see her raise up her leg until it was too late, and her foot collided against the side of his head in a round house kick. Ray chuckled as she saw the much larger virus stumble back a couple of steps before he shook off his disorientation. Thrax didn't give her long to celebrate her small victory though, as he was right back up in her face with a kick of his own that she barely evaded.

Ray never had a fight like this. It was close, fast, intimate, and impressive. As she saw for herself back at the alley way where the incident with Freddy went down, Thrax was good at protecting himself, no, he was better, he was an animal. His pointed shoulders rolled in a predatory fashion as he once more tried to fake her out with a jab at the face and then gut, but this time Ray wouldn't fall for it, and back flipped her way out, making sure to land a kick against his exposed chin as she did so. She might not be the greatest fighter, but let it not be said she didn't know a few good tricks.

Thrax stared slightly slack jawed at the incredibly flexible woman who fell into another stance once a safe distance from him, her loose hair falling across her face in a disheveled manner. He thought her lithe before when he watched her dance that one time in the lab, but…damn.

"You are agile baby, I'll give you that" He confessed as he settled back into his stance once more. Ray didn't know why, and in the heat of the moment she didn't care, but she felt the need to give the virus a taste of his own medicine.

"And what else will you give me Red?" Ray purred as she looked at Thrax with her head tilted to one side teasingly. As Thrax blinked a couple of times in utter disbelief at what he had just witnessed, Ray could now see why he did this to her so often, it was just so…entertaining. Hearing the virus chuckle deeply in amusement, Rachel returned her attention back onto the fight, but found that Thrax was not quite ready to continue.

"Come here and see" He purred back once over his shock, causing Ray to smirk. Deciding to take him up on his invitation, Rachel launched herself forward, ready to try the amusing psycho's jabbing feign against him. For all his twisted ways, Thrax was starting to not seem so bad to Ray. Pure evil, but not bad, and in her book, there was a difference.

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

Well, well, well, what a chapter huh! Looks like Ray is gonna try to bury everything she holds for Andrew, even her hate (to a reasonable degree, I mean, he is still a jack ass)! And what is this? Ray flirted back, yet didn't dump water on Thrax's head?! Well, looks like, to quote my review Phantom of the Night 117, 'Things are gonna get hot in here!'

I also did two quotes in the chapter this time because both seem to fit this chapter perfectly, so, yeah.

Also, for those of you who do not know, I am starting a Rise of the Guardians Fanfic, and though it won't be out for a while, I wanted to let you all know that. **vixen1991** was the one who stuck the idea in my head, and **Phantom of the Night 117** is helping me out with the story line, so a big round of applause to the two of them \(^0^)/ For those who want more info, please review and I will spoil some of it for you (I'll spoil this though, it is titled 'My Lovely Guardian' and it will have an OC girl as a romantic interest for Jack and Pitch).

Well then, that's all for now, same time hopefully, defiantly same place. Till then…

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Keep up the heat…


	10. Chapter 10 Every Dog Has His Day

Chapter 10; Every Dog Has His Day:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

Hurray! I made it to the 10th chapter mark! And look at how much this story has progressed, I mean, it was about three months ago when I first published this story, and now with 38 reviews, 8 favs, and 11 follows, I got to admit I never thought this story would be such a big hit! Thank all you delightful reviewers and readers who made this possible, you all are so wonderful!

This chapter is dedicated to my wonderful dog Scarlet, who has passed away a year ago after ten beautiful years spent together playing tag and chasing squirrels. I loved, and will always love you Scar, you were the greatest dog a girl like me could ever ask for. Love your dogs people (or cats, horses, snakes, mice, pygmy goats, etc.), cause they are the most unconditionally loving creatures on this planet.

~o0o~

_It is just like man's vanity and impertinence to call an animal dumb because it is dumb to his dull perceptions ~ Mark Twain _

"This isn't going to be easy, is it?"

"No baby" Replied Thrax as he continued to walk beside Ray, his yellow eyes hidden behind a pair of dark shades despite the time being well into the night "It's gonna be one rough ride"

"Great…" Rachel muttered as she fidgeted uncomfortably in the new, and itchy, pants suit she had to buy for this occasion. Taking in a deep breath, she stepped inside the lighted warehouse, Thrax closely following after her.

This was going to be their toughest case yet, and as nervous as she was on the inside, Ray was also strangely feeling rather calm about the whole thing. But then again, that's what usually happened to her when she whenever she was thrown to the proverbial wolves. Besides, she needed to do this, because if they survived this, then Zane would be safe and Frank's Finest would bring down the city's most powerful underground animal fighting ring. As to be expected, it was Andrew and the scumbag mayor that roped them all into this case, wanting to take down the largest illegal gambling operation as well as ruin a major source of income for most of the viral gangs within Frank. After hearing this latest scheme of the crazies though, Jones firmly declined, but then of course, had no choice but to agree when Andrew not only reminded him of just what the mayor had over them all, but flaunted their latest trump card, Zane.

Rachel sneered in the dim lamp light of the warehouse as she made her way closer to the end of the hall where tempo pounding music could be heard, showing off her fangs. She knew Andrew had sunken to so many lows after they had separated, but this was the lowest she had seen him stoop. Apparently, if Ray did not enter Zane in to the fights so that Jones and the others could bust the ring wide open when they made it to the final round, when all the big criminal names came into bet, then animal control would get a tip that a rabid rabies virus was being sheltered in Frank. The bastard. It was like he knew that she was trying to let go of her hate for him, and he was trying extra hard to make her hate him more.

Well, it worked.

Sighing in frustration one last time as she slowed down before the bolted doorway, Ray braced herself for what she was about to do. Time for phase one, get Zane into the fighting ring. Going through the door after providing their forged invitations to the guard, Rachel stepped inside the underground night club, putting on her best viral face as she and Thrax walked through the crowd of infections.

With their disguises, Ray and Thrax fit in perfectly in the viral mob. Thrax was once again dyed purple, but this time kept his claws at their naturally intimidating length, and was sporting a rather stylish black suit and tie. Disguised in her own fake claws, red eyes, fangs, and dread lock wig, Rachel topped off her costume with a simple black pants suit and a pair of almost dangerous looking heels. Apparently, though the two of them looked every bit like the viral crowd around them, Ray and Thrax seemed to be attracting a lot of attention as they walked through the crowd, especially from the opposite sexes. Thrax quickly lost track of how many warming glares he had to send out to the men who tried to get Ray's attention, or how many inebriated feminine arms he had to untangle himself from.

Thankfully though, the two of them found the man they were looking for in the lavishly decorated concrete room; reclining in a corner on a white couch and observing his small club's usual clientele, a yellow-green germ relaxed, surrounded by personal guards and acquaintances. Glancing at each other briefly, Thrax and Ray made their way over until they were standing in front of the germ Rachel immediately identified as measles.

"Are you the Ring Master?" Asked Ray, her voice calm and stature confidently composed. The measles virus's eyes flicked over her form for a minute before moving on to Thrax, who was standing protectively beside her. After a brief moment of studying the two of them, the measles smiled.

"What if I am honey?" Ray snapped her fingers, her command bringing Thrax closer to her. As much as she hated being forced into this mission, there was one redeeming feature about it. She was in the one in charge, when she told Thrax to jump; he was supposed to ask how high. And while she greatly enjoyed this perk, Ray was confused as to why she and Thrax had to be the ones to go undercover. Sure, she was needed when it came to handling Zane, and Thrax was the most experienced of them all when it came to handling the viral world, but why just them, why were Jones and Drix not allowed to interfere until it was time for arresting the germs, why…Ray shook out the questions that her insatiable curiosity rose up in her mind, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand.

"I am Miss Blue, this is my assistant, Mr. Reed" She replied as she accepted the camera that Thrax handed her "I am new to this body, and am looking to make a few extra bucks for a little…operation I'm planning. I want to enter my animal in your games" The Ring Master chuckled, his posse joining him in the mocking sound.

"The slots for contestants has been filled already honey, come back for next month's fight" Ray merely smirked as she walked closer, the small hand held camera replaying a clip she had recorded before she left. Turning the screen towards the Ring Master, the short virus watched, his mocking expression turning to one of interest. It was a tape of Zane, running around in hospital's gym, literally pouncing off walls, slicing through beams of wood with his six clawed paws, and showing off the powerful corrosiveness of his acidic saliva. Ray's smirk grew wider as she saw the portly Ring Master start to nod his head, obviously keen.

"Alright honey, you got my attention. Unfortunately, while I would love to see that animal in the ring, all the spots are filled for this fight, and I usually like to be a man of my word. But uh," The Ring Master tapped his short claws against his chin, looking over Ray with green eyes that made the cell want to sneer with disgust "maybe if you provided us with some entertainment, I might reconsider" The other germs beside the measles laughed, and Ray forced herself to keep down her dinner. She didn't have time to be sick, she needed to come up with something or else her Darling would be in danger of the mayor's wrath. Thinking fast, Rachel came up with an idea that was so crazy, it just might work.

"Fine by me. Who's your strongest man?" The question the blue female asked the laughing germs stumped them, but the Ring Master answered her with a snap of his fingers, summoning a nasty looking yellow flu virus. The seven foot barrel chested body guard came closer to Ray, grinning as he towered over her and Thrax.

"Nice, but mine's better. Reed" The purple dyed virus snapped to attention, bringing himself to stand in front of Rachel. Thrax could guess where this was going, and he had to applaud Ray's quick thinking, but as to why she thought this the best course, he couldn't say.

"Yes Miss Blue?" Thrax answered as respectfully as he could. Ray nearly blew their cover as she barely contained the snicker that wanted to escape at hearing Thrax call her that, but she somehow managed to control herself.

"Entertain the gentlemen and ladies" She said with a flourish of her hand.

"With pleasure Miss" Thrax replied as he removed his shades to size up the guard in front of him for a second. Without giving the taller virus any warning, Thrax punched him in the gut, forcing all air out of the unfortunate body guard. Side stepping away from the two viruses with the germ crowd that backed away a safe distance to watch, Ray went over to make herself comfortable on the couch the Ring Master was on, her high heels already killing her feet.

"Want to make this a little more interesting honey?" Asked the measles virus next to Ray, taking out a wad of cash from his coat pocket as he did so. Smirking as she saw Thrax get thrown across the room by the flu virus that surprisingly was giving the Red Death a run for his money, Ray decided to see if she could make some extra of her own.

"Five hundred that my man beats yours senseless in two minutes flat" The Ring Master laughed, obviously thinking she was throwing away her money, but accepted her terms with an amused nod. Ray knew better than that though, for as bizarre as it sounded, she trusted Thrax, more specifically, she trusted his skills as a sadistic killer.

Thrax on the other hand was having a much more difficult time finishing off the flu virus who he had at first thought an easy opponent. Throwing another punch to the flu's stomach before landing a skilled kick against the now very sore side of the taller virus, Thrax knew his victory was close. About to get ready to deliver what he thought was to be the final blow, he saw the flu take something metallic out of his pocket.

A knife. What a cheater.

Well, if that's the way he wanted to play…

Thrax flexed his left hand, claws twitching patiently as he waited for the virus to make his move. When a flash of yellow and metal suddenly came towards him, Thrax easily evaded the flu's stab at his gut, and struck. The flu didn't stand a chance as the much more powerful virus slashed at his face, chest, arms, and then finally, brought the now cut and bleeding guard down with a well-placed punch to the jaw. The seven foot virus stumbled backward, falling onto the crowd of cheering germs that had circled around, roaring louder as Thrax held up his bloodied claws in victory as the unconscious flu was dragged away.

"Well Ring Master, was that entertaining enough?" Asked Ray as she snatched the money she had won out of the measles' hand. Accepting his lose with grace and a smirk, the Ring Master nodded.

"Looks like I will be getting to see you animal in action tonight Miss Blue" Returning smirk for smirk, Ray stood up to leave with Thrax before the cheering crowd stroked his ego to unbearable degree.

Time for phase two.

o0o

Moments later found Thrax and Ray arriving at the hidden location for the underground animal fighting ring in the large van they had borrowed for the occasion. The building the Ring Master had directed them to was, big surprise, a warehouse by the docks in the stomach, its metallic sides covered in questionably green scum. This was where the first few rounds of the animal fights were going to take place, and if Zane made it to the finally round, then tomorrow it would be the place all the biggest viral names in Frank could be found to witness the finale.

"Do you really think this mutt has a chance of making it to the final round?" Questioned Thrax as he opened the back door for Zane to hop out, the rabies virus too excited by this new surrounding to bother paying any attention to the disguised red virus. Ray turned around to answer the Thrax, but stopped when she saw how exhilarated her Darling was, his spiked tail lashing about contentedly. A rare smile drew up on her lips.

Besides the yearly trip to Father Stiers, Zane never really got to explore Frank much anymore, being a 'rabid' animal and all. Back when it was just the two of them though, they used to wander the city of Frank for days on end, sleeping in back alleyways, diving into dumpsters, and fighting off anyone who tried to take advantage of them. After her parents were murdered, Ray refused to go live in an a home for way wards, choosing instead to live out on the street or with Father Stiers, and just one day, she came across Zane. It was not a remarkable meeting, both of them covered in grime and hungry, but back then, little Rachel had thought she had found her guardian, and since then, the two had been near inseparable. But when Father Stiers convinced her that she needed to go to school not only for her sake, but for her parents as well, and to do that she needed to find a 'home', Rachel made the toughest decision of her life, and left Zane behind at the church they had so often stayed in together. It was hard on them both, very hard, especially when Ray's attitude kept her from making friends for the longest time. It got somewhat easier when she found Andrew and Leah, and of course, when she finally let the two closest cell friends she ever had in on her little secret, it was probably the happiest time in her life. And even after Andrew left her and Leah went away to an expensive Ivy League college, Zane never ceased to make her feel loved and safe, very rare sensations for her these days.

"Think? I know he does" Answered Rachel finally as she, with a happily frolicking Zane beside her, walked towards the crowded warehouse doors, ready to give the viral crowd an entrance they shall not soon forget.

o0o

After making a remarkable arrival through the front entrance, Ray and Thrax dropped Zane off in the animal holding cages, where he would wait until it was his turn to fight. After whispering good luck to her Darling, Rachel went over to the section of the warehouse where the viewing decks where. When the viral gangs of Frank took over this building, they constructed a large pit in the middle of the main floor with small barred entrances on opposite ends inside it. It was from those latches that the animals would be forced though, and until only one of them was left breathing, the doors would not open back up.

Circling the crowd and mingling for appearance's sake, Ray tried her best to act calm and untroubled. But, needless to say, it was rather difficult not to think about what Zane was about to go through when the blood stained arena floor below was constantly within her sight. Gulping down the drink she had just grabbed, Ray stood near the waist high iron bar fence that separated the large lower arena from the viewing deck. Noticing her distress with his great skill of deduction, Thrax tried to distract the disguised doctor.

"So, Andrew knew about the rabid dog?" He asked as he leaned back against the barred fence, hissing a little in discomfort as he felt a sharp pain in his left side. Apparently, he hadn't avoided that one slash of the flu virus's knife as easily as he had thought, but Thrax shook of the pain as Ray let out a hallow chuckle.

"I was wondering when you were going to ask me that. Tell me Red, I mean Mr. Reed, is my personal life really that interesting to you?" Thrax smirked at her question, letting out his own chuckle as he combed back his long dreads. He considered answering her with the truth and was about to open his mouth to speak, when she beat him to the punch.

"Yeah, Andrew knew about Zane, and so did Leah. Of course, after he left me, I worried about whether he was going to tell anyone about him. But, the years passed by without any calls from animal control, so I figured that the brain cell was just being a gentleman about the whole thing. Serves me right for thinking that…" Rachel trialed off as she handed off her empty champagne glass to a passing caterer worker, wondering if there was actually anything of the old Andrew she knew left in the one she knew now. No, she decided very quickly.

"You know baby," Started Thrax as he turned over to lean further onto the fence, his pointed shoulders hunched forward "I could take care of all our problems with a visit to the brain cell's home. A quick slice of the throat in return for two antibody bracelet free wrists, whataya you say?" Rachel's eye brows twisted up in amusement as she too leaned forward against the fence, a smirk on her face.

"Was that your attempt of trying to get me to help you take revenge on the city of Frank?" Thrax shrugged his heavy shoulders with a nonchalant grin. He had asked this question purely out of jest, knowing that she wasn't the kind of person who would ever agree to such terms. But, still, he was curious as to what her assuredly entertaining answer would be.

"It was worth a shot, can't really blame a virus for trying" Ray shook her head in amusement. Oh, that crazy psychotic killer, what would he try next?

"Well, while your offer is very tempting, I'm gonna have to say no. Cause if anyone is going to be teaching Andrew the lesson he needs to be taught, it's gonna just going to be me…and a crowbar" Thrax chuckled along with Ray for a moment before he looked down at the arena beneath them. His smirk fell.

"Looks like the games are about to begin baby" Ray's eyes snapped down to where Thrax was looking, seeing that he was right. The caged doors beneath them had opened up, and prodded by germs protected with electrical prods, two campylobacteriosis were pushed out onto the arena.

"Ladies and gentlegerms, for your entertainment, your gracious host the Ring Master presents...survival of the deadliest!" Announced the familiar voice of the measles disease through a muffled microphone. As if on cue, the two serpentine creatures now trapped within the arena finally noticed each other, and like the mindless fighters they had been trained to be, went for each other with fangs drawn.

Instantly Ray felt the viral throng push up against the fence she and Thrax had been leaning against, the blood hungry fans cheering loudly as bets were being placed. Forced up against the unforgiving metal fence by the excited crowd, Rachel felt like all the air within her was being forced out as yet another germ jabbed her gut with his elbow trying to get a better view. About to see if she could pull herself out of the horde without any more damage to her personhood, Ray felt the crowd around her backing off. Glancing to her left, she could see Thrax, standing tall with a feral expression on his face glare out at the viruses behind them. Apparently, he wasn't a big fan of getting mobbed either, and had tamed the crowd with a well-practiced sneer and threatening flex of his claws.

But as terrifying as Thrax was to the throng of fans, the viruses and germs once more tried to get closer to view the fight, though this time kept a good distance from the intimidating disease and the woman beside him. Knowing that the fights would soon make the crowd forget their place, Thrax slid his way nearer to Ray, who was now too engrossed in the bloody fight below to notice his closeness. Standing protectively behind the undercover cell, Thrax quickly looked over her to see is she was hurt, and was relieved to see that she wasn't. It wouldn't do him any good if Andrew or Jones pulled out of their deals because an overly excited blood lusting crowd damaged the good doctor on his watch.

As one of the snake like campylobacteriosis finished off the other and the next pair of animals came in, Thrax continued to keep his close position near Ray, watching both her and the fights below. She was gripping the fence with white knuckles, obviously disturbed by what she was witnessing as the fights progressed; sometimes even turning away to avoid seeing the final blows. Her expression was new to Thrax; it was worried, concerned, caring, and, what was that word? Oh yes, compassionate. The virus smirked down at the woman who was only a couple inches away from him; she may pretend to be harsh and indifferent, when really she had a big heart that cared for many.

It was just so pathetically adorable…

"And now ladies and gentlegerms, a rare treat for you all today to finish off tonight's entertainment! Fighting for the first time in Frank, Zane, the rabies immunization! And his opponent for the day's last match, the ever popular Bruiser!" The crowd went wild with cheers and boos as a familiar black skinned, six legged beast was shoved into the arena, muscles tense with anticipation. Ray became visibly upset as she saw Zane notice the now stiff body of the last fight's loser being dragged out by a couple of hooks, disappearing under a side door to be disposed. Glancing around, Zane's sharp senses singled out Ray from the crowd, his red eyes locking with her own. She knew that she sent him into that arena to protect him from Andrew and animal control, and that he understood that she didn't want to put him through this, but still, in the end, he was in there, and she put him there. But just as he had done so many times before for her, Zane assured his mistress with soft growl that all would be well, causing a feeling of serenity to stir within Rachel.

"Give em' hell my Darling…" Thrax heard Ray whisper as she suddenly became eerily composed, the uneasiness that was so evident in her eyes before disappearing. Before he could wonder just what had such an effect on her though, the other cage inside the arena opened up, and out came Zane's opponent. The histoplasmosis, a fungal infection, strode out of the small door frame, its box like jaws dripping with froth as its unclipped talons scrapped against the concrete floor.

Zane started to circle his much larger adversary, Bruiser, sinking into a concentration so deep that the shouting of the crowd above him went unheard. All that existed was his opponent, all that he saw was the sharpened claws on the fungus's four paws, and the sharp teeth inside his deep green jaw. All he cared about was surviving this to be by his mistress's side once more…

With a flash of black and teeth, Zane made the first move, and launched himself at his challenger. Experienced in his own right, the green fungus easily avoided Zane's rookie attack, failing to see a spiked tail until it bashed into the side of his face. Not stopping to see what damage he had caused, Zane ran straight for the concrete wall ahead of him, using the momentum he gathered to launch himself into the air off it.

The fungal disease clawed at his bleeding face as he looked around for the one who made it so. Noticing a shadow descending upon him, Bruiser picked himself up on his powerful hind legs, and plucked the now disadvantaged Zane from the air with his forepaws.

Ray gritted her teeth as she saw Bruiser tackle Zane to the ground, pinning him with his much larger body. It took every single shred of will power she had to resist not calling out to her Darling as she saw the fungus sink his teeth into Zane's shoulder, causing the rabies virus to growl out in agony.

Damn Andrew, damn the mayor, and damn the people that cheered louder as Zane clawed out in desperate anguish.

With a blind paw though, Zane clawed an open eye of his opponent, sending the green fungus reeling back with a pained roar. Pushing himself back onto his six legs, red eyes flickered with animalistic ferocity as the rabies virus zeroed in on the distracted Bruiser.

Launching himself once more at his opponent, Zane managed to take the larger disease by surprise, giving him the opportunity to return injury for injury. Both Thrax and Rachel watched fixedly as the two beasts rolled, thrashed, bit, and clawed at each other as the crowd grew more and more frenzied at the sight. Like Thrax had foreseen, the mass of viruses forgot their place, and pushed him and Rachel against the fence, but for all that, Ray's eyes never left the arena. Thrax had to admit as he too watched the fight attentively, for a mutt that had never been in the ring, Zane knew how to handle himself. And as the rabies virus threw the larger fungal infection against a concrete wall, it was apparent that he knew how to handle others even better.

The crowd fell into to a hush as they all witnessed Bruiser fall to the floor in an exhausted slump, showing no sign that he was going to get up anytime soon. Just a few feet away, Zane stood tall, panting with exhaustion as he looked up from his unconscious opponent to meet Rachel's gaze.

"Ladies and gentlegerms, it appears that Zane has just K.O.'ed Bruiser! Let's hear it for the rabies virus who has just assured himself a place in the final round that will take place tomorrow!" Announced the Ring Master over the microphone. Ray didn't hear any of his speech though, or the cheering of Zane's name by the crowd. Her Darling was okay, he had done it.

"Good boy" She whispered as she watched Zane leave the arena through an open barred down, turning back one last time to glance at his smiling mistress. Letting out the breath she had just noticed she had been holding, Ray felt the crowd around her and Thrax disperse to collect their winnings. Thrax was just about to ask the doctor what was next for them, when she turned around with a small smile on her face. Her expression was beyond relief, it was serene, and for some reason the simple, yet wholesome expression made him forget what he was just about to say. Suddenly, Thrax became painfully aware of just how close the sapphire woman was to him. Or, was that actual pain?

"Um, Thrax? You're bleeding!" Exclaimed Ray as she saw the purple dyed virus grab at his side tenderly, a patch of red blood seeping through the black suit.

"Just a scratch baby" Muttered Thrax as he tried to make himself stand up straight, but failed utterly. It seemed the last time the crowd pushed him and Ray up against the fence had somehow made the small wound the flu virus had given him a lot worse, opening it up further than what it had been when he received it. Calming herself down from the adrenaline infused state the animal fights had worked her into, Ray came to a decision.

"Come on, let's go get that patched up" She said calmly as she grabbed Thrax's arm, giving him no choice but to follow her as she walked over to the nearest doorway.

o0o

It didn't take long for Rachel to find the room where the medical supplies were kept in that the Ring Master had been so courteous as to direct her too. Still pulling Thrax along behind her, Ray entered the brightly lit supply room. Immediately noticing a first aid kit resting on the top shelf on the other side of the room, Ray finally let go of the virus's sleeve as she rolled up hers.

"Alright Red, take off your jacket and shirt, and then sit on that table there" Ray commanded as she walked over to grab the first aid kit, gesturing to the table that stretched out in the middle of the spacious room.

"Oh, say that again baby, only slower" Thrax leered out in a teasing tone, but obeyed the doctor's orders none the less as he made his way over to the table. Ray rolled her eyes as she finally managed to bring the medicinal kit down. Why did the virus need to make everything more difficult than it needed to be? Oh well, it's not like she was doing this just for him. Sure, she would seal up his wound, but her real goal here was to find a first aid kit so when she finally got to visit Zane, which the Ring Master said wouldn't be allowed for a couple more minutes, she could treat his injuries. Making her way over to Thrax, Ray tried to keep her mind off of Zane and his for sure aching shoulder.

"Since taking you to a hospital is out of the question, I guess a doctor who deals with the dead is as good as it gets for you" She said as she finally reached the table, not really putting much thought into what she was saying. Thrax, who was already seated on the metallic counter, smirked as his jacket fell to the floor and he got to work on unbuttoning his shirt.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" He let out a fake laugh that was cut off by a sting of pain, causing the virus to growl in discomfort. Looking down, he saw why. His wound was a lot worse than he thought, the entire left side of the white shirt was stained red with the blood that had seeped through, some of it already starting to dry in caked fragments.

"Damn it, there goes the return policy on this suit" He muttered as he continued to unbutton his shirt, easily ignoring the pain it brought.

Ray chuckled lightly at Thrax's quip as she finally turned from away from the first aid supplies she had spread out on the table space beside him in time to see the virus shed his shirt off. The bright light of the supply room reflected off his broad chest as defined muscles flexed in and out with Thrax's labored breathing as he leaned himself back on his hands. Completely against her better judgment, Ray allowed her eyes to drift over the exposed chest of the virus next to her, taking in all the scars that marred his skin. Thin, long, deep, and curved marks plagued much of his chest, arms, and even neck, a disturbing creation of sketch work on skin. Just as she was about to ask herself why she had never noticed this before, Ray found her answer. She never cared to notice.

To her, Thrax was just a means to reach the mayor's insane end, a virus she had unwillingly been forced to live with, a momentary distraction from the upside down world that was her life. She had barely ever reflected on the fact that his own life was a constant struggle, a war against not only other viruses, but every single cell and human, a war whose battles were mapped out in his skin. Ray then felt something creep up within in her, something precariously close to guilt, understanding and, and…

"Uh, doc? My eyes are up here" A low voice drawled out, derailing Ray's train of thought. Looking up, Rachel met the yellow eyes of Thrax, noticing the amusement he felt for having caught her staring glistening within them. With an annoyed scoff, Rachel focused on the wound at Thrax's side, grabbing a sterilization wipe to away the blood.

"Don't flatter yourself Red, it's not very charming" She muttered back, taking delight in hearing the virus hiss out once more in pain, this time at the sting of the alcohol wipe.

"Aw, and here I thought my high self-esteem was something all the ladies loved" Thrax replied as he watched the doctor focus on the surprisingly deep wound at his side, switching the now blood soaked wipe for another.

"And just what do you know about woman?" Ray asked him with quirked brows, suddenly noticing how amusing it was that Thrax's face was still dyed purple yet his chest blared red.

"Plenty baby," Replied the virus as the sapphire cell, now having completely cleaned the wound, grabbed a needle and spool of black thread "I am a legend amongst the females, or haven't you heard?"

"I'm not one for fairy tales or legends, I prefer reality" Ray muttered back as she concentrated on the gash, leaning in close to get a better view of the thin, deep red line. About to retort with 'Well, how would you like to make it with a legend baby?', to which Thrax was certain would get an amusing reaction from the doctor, the virus fell into silence as he concentrated on not growling out in discomfort as Ray started to stich up the wound. Pondering on the strangeness that when in a fight, a man usually never acknowledged the ache of his injuries, but when being patched up by delicate feminine fingers, winced like a child getting his first shot, Thrax didn't notice when Ray tied off the thread, and grab a roll of gauze.

"This will hold you over until we get done with this case, but until then, I don't recommend any heavy lifting or knife fights for a while" Ray said after a few moments, her voice reigning Thrax's attention back onto her. And was he ever so glad it did.

"Will do baby. But do you mind doing me a favor?" Thrax asked after silently enjoying a moment of this pleasurable situation.

"What kind of favor?" Ray inquired as she continued in her task, not bothering to look up to meet Thrax's gaze as it flickered with mischief.

"Run your hands slowly across my chest again? It felt so…_good_"

Ray froze. What the hell was the virus talking about now? Concentration now broken, Rachel looked away from her task to notice the position she had gotten herself into. In her focus of trying to patch up the virus, she had managed to shift her way in between Thrax's open legs, her hips nearly touching the suit clad limbs. Her task, which was wrapping the roll of gauze tightly around the exposed chest of Thrax, had not only brought her uncomfortably close to his towering, leering face, but also managed to keep her hands in constant contact with his torso, sapphire fingers brushing against red skin. Feeling an enraged flush creep up onto her cheeks, Ray quickly tied off the bandage, and went over to pack up the medical supplies to get it ready to take to Zane.

"Bite me" Rachel finally growled as she picked up the first aid kit, tossing a scornful sneer at Thrax. The virus's leer stretched out further on his face as he slipped back on the blood soaked shirt.

"With pleasure baby" Thrax's resounding chuckle was cut short as something resembling a pointed heel stuck him in the face, causing the virus to curse out as Rachel wobbled unsteadily out of the supply room, lips pursed tight in annoyance.

o0o

Zane willingly followed the germ who had led him away from his mistress, his sharpened claws clicking against the concrete floor of the warehouse. After defeating Bruiser, Zane was pushed back into the cage that he had waited in before he was summoned into the arena, but after a while, his mistress had come for him.

The rabies virus became visibly excited as his long tail swept from side to side with the happy thought of his sapphire mistress. She had come to visit him and heal him, cooing softly with comforting words and bestowing pleasant ear scratches. Zane didn't care that her former mate had forced Rachel into putting him the fights, if it was something that needed to be done in order to protect her, than he was more than willing to do it. Speaking of protecting his mistress, that red man was with her, and much to Zane's dislike, he smelt strongly of her. He didn't know what occurred between the two of them, but the rabies virus caught the red man staring at his mistress more than once when he thought no one was looking.

The excitement that had caused his tail to twitch happily was replaced with a low growl, spooking the cold germ that led him to the back where he would sleep for the night until the next fight. Zane thought himself a rather friendly animal, he liked the cold pill and the purple woman, and even put up with the loud, ice blue man. But the instant he had smelled that red virus in the hospital when they had first moved there, Zane knew he did not like him one bit. He smelled of many bad things, especially of burnt flesh, but the rabies sensed something worse in the virus than that, mostly when he was near his mistress. As to what it was though, Zane was at a loss, all he knew was that day by day, he sensed the strange something grow, and no matter how many times he sent the red man warning growls, it continued to.

Pulled out of his thoughts as the germ leading him opened a bolted door in front of them, Zane finally observed his surroundings as he followed the germ through the doorway. It was a large concrete room filled from wall to wall, ceiling to floor, with cages. The higher ones were empty, but the ones trapped underneath were filled with creatures of all shapes and size, growling, howling, and purring for all they were with. Red eyes glanced left and right, nose twitching in a failing attempt to identify the animally transferred diseases that filled the rows of cages Zane was being led down.

"Alright champ, this is your place for the night" Announced the germ as he unlocked the door to a large cage. Zane stared at the cage for a moment before glancing at the gray man with a look the germ was almost tempted to recognize as a 'are you serious?' look. Shaking the insane idea from his head, the germ pushed the rabies virus into the cage before the animal had time to protest.

"Don't try to escape, don't cause trouble, and most importantly, don't wake up Gypsy" Warned the cold as he turned away, turning off the lights and bolting the door behind him. Zane let out a gruff; surely, if his mistress was aware of just how they were treating him here, she would teach them a lesson about proper animal care they wouldn't soon forget. But, Zane knew that it was hard enough on Rachel to leave him behind as was custom for the animals that competed in the games, so he wouldn't cause her more worry by complaining. It was rather curious actually; sometimes his mistress seemed to be so clever as to know what he was actually thinking. For a cell, she was rather smart…

Zane's thoughts were interrupted as his ears detected a low, threatening growl start up from the cage on his left. Curious, Zane shifted closer, his sharp eyes detecting a large shape shift in the cage that was only inches away from his. Recalling what the germ had said about not waking Gypsy up, Zane decided to see just what was so threatening about him.

Returning the feral growl with a soft, friendly rumble, Zane notice the dark shape come closer, and closer, and…

With barely a second to spare, Zane somehow managed to avoid the claws that swiped out at him, his keen nose detecting the poison that dripped from them. Another paw joined the first in the mysterious animal's attempt to slash out the intruding rabies's throat, the once low growl replaced with a territorial roar. Not wanting to get anywhere near the poison producing talons, Zane slumped against the opposite end of his cage, and waited for now identified Gypsy to calm down.

He didn't have to wait long as soon the two paws retreated through the wide bars of his cage and back into their own. Still very wary, Zane scooted as close as he dared to get a better look of the creature that was so infuriated with him for existing. Red eyes settled on the form of the now still animal, and after a moment of studying the creature, Zane felt his jaw start to drop.

Gypsy was a female, an honest to Frank female. With four paws tipped with deadly looking claws, deep, blushing pink skin, a long feathery tufted tail, and the deepest green eyes he had ever seen, the rabies virus felt his usually frothing mouth go dry as he gaped at the female that continued to glare at him. With her reclined feline shaped body and eyes entrancing him, Zane felt himself drawing near the deadly female.

With a snarl, Gypsy threateningly raised one of her paws at the rabies virus she had thought she had made it clear to not to mess with her. But to her surprise, the darkly skinned male lowered his head so he was lying down, his red eyes staring up at her with puppy like charm. With a hiss, the pink tinted female turned her pointed face away, her tufted tail twitching with impatience for the obviously brain damaged male. Zane didn't care that he was being ignored though, as it gave him the opportunity to observe the catty female without the threat of her claws. As striking as her rose-pink skin was, it was unfortunately marred with many battle scars, but to the rabies virus, this only added to her beauty. She was a survivor, she was strong, and she had the most delicately muscled paws he had ever seen…

Hearing a soft whine coming from the cage next to her, Gypsy looked over to see the rabies virus roll over onto his back, batting at the air playfully with his six paws. Her head titled to one side in utter confusion at the male's attempt to get her attention with cuffs and purrs. She had never seen any creature act like this, having spent her whole life wandering from body to body with her master, the one the cells called the Ring Master, but it was fascinating.

Noticing that his invitation to play was not doing the trick, Zane flipped himself back over onto his stomach, thinking about just what would get this gorgeous female to respond. His schemes were interrupted though, when he felt a feathered tail bat gently at his nose. Looking over to meet emerald eyes that were shining playfully as a pink tail teased him again, Zane felt his mouth go bone dry once more.

A sleepless night was spent for the rabies virus and the gypsy that had stolen his heart, purrs and playful growls resounding in the concrete room as the two animals enjoyed the other's gentle company.

o0o

"Did Zane look a little tired to you?" Ray asked Thrax as the two of them made their way from the animal overnight room to the viewing area, it being the first place they visited after spending the day with Jones and others in wait for night time. The once again disguised virus felt like rolling his eyes at the doctor's question; how she had ever come to care so much for that thing, he would never understand, just as he was sure he would never understand the creature's obsessive dislike for him.

"Didn't notice baby, I was too entranced with the way you fill out that suit so well" Thrax gave as his response, causing the good doctor to react with her usual annoyed twitch, though the expression was far milder than he had wanted it to be. Taking revenge on his flirtatious comment by jabbing the still very sore left side of the virus, Ray left a snarling Thrax behind as she walked out onto the viewing floor. His comments have gotten a lot more frisky, last night being a prime example, ever since she made the mistake of teasing him back that one sparring session several weeks ago. Since then, the two of them had made it somewhat of a weekly routine of boxing together, and as a result, it provided both plenty of opportunities to tease and learn from each other as Thrax's game of cat and mouse changed to one of cat verses cat.

As Ray wound her way through the already crowded room to lean against the metal fence to wait for the final rounds to start, a disturbing thought crossed her mind. She was probably the closest person to Thrax. It was assured that neither of them cared for the other, but in Thrax's attempts to bide his time until he was free of Frank and in her responses to his lewd comments, they had come to share much. Probably more than either of them ever wanted to, yet bizarre situation after bizarre situation seemingly forced it to be so, as if the two of them had no choice but to learn about the other. Ray shook the thought out of her head, not wanting to think on such things with the grand finale of their case just ahead of them.

Having finally caught up with the woman who constantly tested his new found and relatively unstable control, Thrax leaned against the railing besides Rachel, staring down into the pit as she was. It would be any moment now, the fights would soon begin, and once the viral crowd was worked up into a frenzy of bets and blood, the S.F.F.F. led by Jones, Dr. Abby, and Drix would sweep in, and arrest everyone on sight before Zane even had to step out into the arena a second time. With the risk of jinxing himself, Thrax thought so far everything was going perfectly according to plan, his and Frank's Finest. Continuing to uphold not only Andrew's deal but also Jones's, Thrax was also making good head way with overcoming the antibodies, as well as acquiring some information about his chain.

As a taste that he was still serious about their deal, Jones had told Thrax just before he left with Ray for this case, that his chain was defiantly somewhere in the mayor's personal possession. How the immunity cell had dug up this obscure tid bit of info or whether he was telling him all he knew, Thrax didn't care. However, when the cell finished the whispered conversation with the threat that if he dared tried to hurt anyone, cell or germ, not purely in the act of self-defense, he would kill them then and there, Thrax couldn't help but respond with a 'you can try Jones'. It was just so laughable how the cell thought he really stood a chance against protecting this body from him a second time, when he would not only be ready for Jones, but also stronger than ever before.

"What you grinning about Red?" A smoky feminine voice interrupted virus's violent thoughts. Looking over at the sapphire woman who was peering up at him, Thrax smirked.

"Are my inner most thoughts really so interesting to you baby?" He responded with playfully quirked brows. Ray's lip jerked in irritation as she let out what felt like the millionth exasperated scoff at the virus.

"No," She replied curtly "Frankly I don't really want to know what goes on in that depraved mind of yours, it's just I have been taught to be wary of quiet viruses. It usually means they're plotting something nasty…" Thrax smirked at the honesty that permeated the woman's words and her astuteness about viruses.

"I said this once already, but that tongue of yours is gonna get you in trouble one day" Tut-tutted Thrax as he tapped his long claws against the railing, standing tall so that the woman leaning forward had to crane her neck back to see him.

"What can I say? I got a sharp mind and even sharper tongue, and I'm not afraid of using either" Shrugged the small woman, not realizing the opening she had just unwittingly given the virus. Thrax turned so his back was leaning against the fencing, folding his arms across his broad chest as he held Ray's gaze with roguishly tinted yellow eyes.

"Care to prove that baby?" Ray chuckled bitterly as she shook her head in amusement, denying the virus of the annoyed glare he was fond of. Maybe she was growing used to his teasing advances. Might be time to up the ante then...

"Ladies and gentlegerms, your beloved Ring Master presents once more for your entertainment, survival of the deadliest!" Thrax and Ray's attention was torn away from each other and down towards the arena, just in time to see Zane pushed out from the barred door.

"No, no, no. He's supposed to be the last to fight!" Muttered Rachel as she stood herself up straight, grabbing out her cell phone to give Jones the unexpected update. Texting her message quickly, the disguised white blood cell returned her gaze back onto her Darling, who was peering back up at her, his keen senses picking up on her distress. Just then, the opposite door within the arena opened up, and out came Zane's competitor for this round.

"There has been an unexpected change of plans ladies and gentlegerms, seems that many animals had been too damaged in last night's fights to continue onto the final round. So I am afraid that the two animals we wanted to save for last are going first instead. In the far corner, last night's champion, Zane! In the opposite, your personal favorite and my best girl, Gypsy!" The Ray watched the rose tinted feline like disease perk its pointed ears at the sound of her name, the doctor instantly recognizing Zane's opponent as none other than a deadly bacterial disease commonly called Cat Scratch. Looking over the tell-tale poison tipped claws that caused scorching fevers; Rachel couldn't stop the feeling of dread that spread within her.

Feeling her phone vibrate, Ray glanced down at the message Jones had sent back at her, hoping it held good news for her.

_'Can't come, not enough men for a rescue, only arrest. Do what you can to get out and we will try to get you guys as soon as we can' _

Translation; you're on your own.

"Damn it all to hell!" Cursed Ray as she stuffed the phone back inside her pocket, attracting the attention of Thrax.

"I take it help isn't coming?" Taking the grunt the woman let out as she kicked at the railing with her spiked heel as a yes, Thrax looked back down into the arena, where Gypsy could be seen starting to circle Zane. Looks like it was all up to the rabies virus to survive this one on his own.

Though he could sense the anger and concern that his mistress smelled heavily of, Zane couldn't help but start purring as he saw Gypsy in front of him, no cage in between them this time. Ignoring the cheers and jeers of the viral crowd above him, the rabies virus bravely strode closer to the pink female, his tail swaying happily. Gypsy watched him wide eyed as Zane lowered himself into a playful stance, softly growling an invitation to join him. Just what was this brain damaged male thinking? This was the bad room; where she and others like her were sent to kill or be killed, not play. But as she saw Zane pounce up onto his feet teasingly, the scarred female felt the need to disobey the crowd's want for blood, and returned the virus's friendly purr.

"What the hell is that thing doing?" Asked Thrax as he watched Zane not only lightly bat at his rosy opponent, but also gently nip at her ear as the two ran about happily.

"Why that sly dog…" Breathed out Rachel in both amusement and relief. Leave it to her Darling to charm the pink off any violent driven female.

"I apologize ladies and gentlegerms," Stuttered the Ring Master over the microphone, looking down into the pit in utter shock that his girl would disobey what he thought was instinct by now as the viral crowd booed louder at the sight "We will rectify this behavior immediately"

At his command, two black clothed germs stepped through the barred doors Zane and Gypsy had not come out themselves just a moment ago, covered from head to toe in padded armor and carrying pointed electrical prods. Thrax saw the sapphire woman next to him tense up, barely able to suppress the gasp that wanted to escape as she watched Zane and the catty disease stop in their play to glance at the men coming towards them, not understanding what was going on. That was soon corrected however, when one of the germs sent a jolt through Gypsy with a cruel stab of the prod at her side, causing the female to emit a yelp of pain. Anger instantly flaring, Zane tried to break away the prod's contact on his companion, only to be stopped as the other germ jabbed at him, sending a cruel current of electricity through him.

"Hold on baby, just what do you think you're doing?" Asked Thrax as he noticed Ray trying to climb the railing in time to grab and pluck her off before she could make it over.

"I'm getting my Darling! Put me down now you bastard!" Protested Ray as she tried to worm out of Thrax's strong hold with a few thrashes and kicks, but only succeeded in getting his grip to tighten more around her waist.

"Like hell I will. The brain cell was right, you are the greatest danger to yourself" Muttered Thrax as he continued to hold onto the squirming woman, ignoring the hard jabs she drove into his still tender side.

"What are you talking about?" Ray asked as she looked up to meet Thrax's eyes, confusion riddling her face. Mentally cursing himself for letting that slip, the purple dyed virus thought up a quick lie, and was just about to tell the woman trapped in his arms, when a wounded roar caused her to look away from him. Zane was now lying on the arena floor, his strength spent by the tortuous amount electricity that the germ was still sending through him. Looking down at the woman trapped in his grip, Thrax saw the distraught expression on Ray's face, blinking eyes trying to hold back budding tears. If he let her go, then she would try to get back inside the arena, if he didn't, then the rabid dog would be killed in the Ring Master's attempt to stir him and the pink thing up into a fight, and this whole case would be a bust. With a pained roll of his eyes, Thrax's mind decided quickly what needed to be done in order to get them all out alive, hopefully.

"You are a huge pain in the ass, you know that baby?" Rachel turned away from the sight in the arena in time to see Thrax sigh in frustration, releasing her from his grip.

"Make yourself useful and work up a distraction or something"

"Why, what are you doing?" Thrax looked down at the woman who was now standing next to him, letting a confident smirk grow as he straightened the lapels of his jacket.

"Oh, just something that I'll probably regret" And with that, Thrax threw himself over the railing, landing down in the arena with unearthly grace. Staring wide eyed for a moment as she witnessed the virus bash one of the armored germ's head against the concrete side of the pit, Ray forced herself to concentrate on for once doing what Thrax told her too. Distraction, she needed to create a distraction. Spotting a pile of vodka bottles stacked high in a far off corner that was meant to be served once the more criminally elite clientele arrived; inspiration stuck the doctor and she took off to find a lighter.

Taking the second germ down as easily as he had the first, Thrax kicked away the prods, freeing the rabies virus and his pink friend. Standing up on shaking legs, Zane looked up at the red man, the last face he ever expected to see down here helping him.

"I'm only doing this so the doctor doesn't get killed on my watch, so don't look so smug" Thrax explained sternly to the six legged freak that was smirking haughtily up at him. About to respond with a roll of his red eyes, Zane looked up at the railing in time to see armed germs surround it, guns aimed down at them.

"Mr. Reed, do you know what the plenty is for interfering with my games?" Asked the Ring Master from behind the line of armed flunkies, his voice nearly drowned out by the roar of germs and viruses who were looking forward to the blood bath that was surely about to happen.

"The plenty is that you don't get to see the next…do any of you smell smoke?" Instantly, the frenzied crowd paused, taking tentative sniffs at the air. In answer to the question they were afraid to ask, a hot blaze enveloped the far corner, sending a wave of heat that even Thrax could feel down in the pit.

"Fire!" Screamed a random virus, sending out a signal to which all, including the armed flunkies, responded with panic and screams of their own. In the blur of flame ensued chaos, Thrax saw that most of the guns that were trained on him and the animals where gone, and the few that remained where to distracted by the mob of viruses and germs that flooded towards the exists. Taking advantage of what was given him, Thrax scooped up the pink feline disease, grateful that the long exposure to electricity slowed the animal's assuredly violent response to being handled by a stranger. With one heave, Thrax launched the bacterial infection over the railing that separated the viewing deck from the pit, the catty female landing gracefully on her feet.

"Your turn mutt" Was all the warning Zane got as he felt himself being lifted up in the grip of the red man, soon finding himself up in the air. Seeing the rabies virus land next to the pink feline, Thrax launched himself up into the air, piercing the concrete wall with his claws to stabilize himself. With great effort, he managed to claw the rest of the way up towards the railing, only to be greeted with the barrel of a gun when he reached it.

"Don't move, or I will blow your fucking brains ou-" The germ never got to finish what he was going to say as the hilt of a large hunting knife collided with the side of his head, sending him sprawling down onto the ground. Thrax chuckled as he climbed over the railing to stand beside the composed doctor, looking over the enveloping fire that had cleared the room.

"Great work baby. One thing though, how did you start the fire?" He asked as he started towards the exit, Rachel and the two rabid animals following after him as she sheathed her weapon back in its case under her shirt.

"Molotov cocktail. Don't ask me how I know how to make one" She replied as they turned down the long hall way, the exit in plain sight. Not bothering to return the amused smirk the virus directed towards her, Rachel ran as fast as her legs could carry her, the heat of the fire she had created licking at her heels. Seems that the little distraction she started was growing quickly into a dangerous disaster. But they were so close that the familiar stench of Frank's stomach permeated the now hot air that soon it wouldn't matter. All they needed to do was take a few more steps and then-

Rachel felt more than heard the explosion, feeling her body being launch forward as a rush of blistering air and sheering flames pushed at her from behind. Closing her eyes in her panic as the blaze encircled her and continued to drive her forward, Ray felt something else wrap itself around her. But whatever it was, she didn't pay any attention to it as the booming sound of the explosion finally caught up with the flames, blinding and deafening her as she felt herself become completely lost to the mercy of gravity.

She didn't know exactly when she had landed against the rubble littered docks of the stomach or how long she had been lying there, but she did know that she hurt. All over. Especially on her back, where pieces of the building she had just escaped from poked at her from the ground. Try as she might though, something on top of her kept her from moving, something very warm and very heavy.

"Red?" She called out dazedly, having yet to open her eyes, wanting to treat the no doubt damaged things carefully.

"Mrh-mh?" She heard the weighty thing on top of her mumble. Perfect.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked as she finally opened her eyes, confirming her fears about her situation, but also relieved to see an unharmed Zane out of the corner of her eye standing not too far off with his pink companion.

Thrax didn't want to move, or more accurately, his body refused to. In his attempt to shield the doctor from the explosion, he had taken the brute force of it. No doubt his wound had opened up again, most likely accompanied with a couple of bruised ribs and torn tendons. This deal with Andrew to protect the sapphire woman at all costs in return for his chain was so far more trouble than it was worth. Speaking of trouble, where was the doctor? He had heard her, but his ears were still ringing from the painful resound of the explosion, disorientating not just his hearing, but all his senses.

"Yeah, I think so" He muttered back confusedly. He tried to bring a hand to his face to wipe away the rubble that was blurring his vision, but found his hands were trapped underneath something soft that was separating him from the ground.

"Oh, gee, that's good. Great even" Replied the soft thing from underneath him, its voice dripping with sarcasm "Now, do you mind getting off of me Red? I can't breathe" Yellow eyes squinted open see that Rachel was right, he had landed right on top of her, his arms trapped underneath, still gripping her in the hold he had on her when he tried to carry her out of the way of the explosion. Unwinding his arms out from underneath the expressionless doctor, the bruised virus leaned himself up on his elbows, the furthest his body would allow him up. Still trapped under him with her arms pinned to her sides, Ray bit her tongue as she waited impatiently for Thrax to gather back his senses and strength, obviously still very much deprived of both. Glancing over to her right, she saw Zane staring at her concerned, though that melted away with the assuring smile she gave him, which grew wider as she saw her Darling check over the female feline next to him to see if she was alright as well.

"Thank you" Thrax heard the woman beneath him whisper. Opening his eyes once more, he looked down at the cell, seeing her meet his blurred gaze "You saved Zane. And me. So, thanks Red" The small smile she gave him showed her rare, but honest gratitude, and made the virus staring down at her feel rather strange. He was not used to being thanked, especially by someone who made it clear that she disliked him, a lot. It was an odd and new concept, though not entirely an unwelcomed one from the doctor that had for so long held his interest.

"Saving a rabid puppy and his girl, do you realize what this will do to my image?" Thrax replied, shaking his head in mock shame, causing some dreads to fall over his face. Rachel shifted as she chuckled, trying to move away from a piece of rubble that was prodding her lower back awkwardly.

"Said the virus wearing purple make up on his face" Thrax let out a short laugh at the doctor's rebuttal, his senses finally returning to him. Eyes now adjusted, he gazed down at woman underneath him, her dreadlock wig having long since fallen off as well as her red contacts, leaving behind a wild torrent of silver hair and wide obsidian blue eyes. The smirk that grew across the viral face that was just a little more than foot away from her own caused Rachel to become visibly uncomfortable as she shifted again, this time not because of the rocks sticking her back, but at the gripping sensation of Thrax's dark rimmed eyes piercing down at her so intently.

"Umm, yeah. Well, like I said before Red, thanks, but uh, could you get off me now?" Ray asked once more, her tone betraying her somewhat flustered state of having the virus still on top of her.

"I don't think I want to just yet baby" Seeing her obsidian eyes open wider in shock and ruddy lips part in a silent gasp, Thrax dropped his voice down to a low whisper, relishing in every single craving the sight of the woman trapped beneath him created.

"I like seeing you like this. Underneath me, squirming and writhing"

Ray couldn't move. She couldn't even breathe. She had admitted to herself not long ago that she was becoming used to the virus's advances, and even found them entertaining at times to throw back at his face with a rebuttal, but this time was different. His half-lidded yellow eyes, his devilish grin, his close proximity, the feeling of his scorching body pinning her down, his hot breath, his whispering voice, all of it was so different, somehow more real, more genuine, more…_possessive_.

Something went through her, a needle sharp sensation traveling quickly up her spine, causing Rachel to tremble. But it wasn't anything close to an icy shiver, no; it was a spark, a flash of cruel heat that left her cold and wanting more as soon as it had run through her. And truth be told, that terrified the sapphire woman far more than the fact that Thrax was now lowering his face down closer to hers, his gaze trained on her-

She panicked.

Reeling back in pain to cultch his forehead, Thrax muttered every curse he knew, not caring that Rachel was now free from him and scrambling up to her feet. Not looking back to see if her unexpected head butt had caused the virus to bleed, Ray headed over to where her Darling and his new friend where standing, taking comfort in the approaching sound of sirens as she forbid her mind to think about what had almost happened between her and the virus.

o0o

"Sugar, I leave you alone for just a couple of weeks, and you set the docks of Frank on fire. What am I going to do with you?" Greeted Leah as she brought her sapphire friend into a gentle embrace, her relieved sigh betraying the concern she felt underneath her teasing tone.

"I can't help it Lee, trouble just follows me around" Replied Rachel as the beautiful brain cell let go of her finally, but kept her close. Ray looked out over the scene before her, S.F.F.F. members scuttling everywhere trying to clean up the damage she had caused as well as try to round up the few germs and viruses that failed to escape. Watching as the outside doors to the animal holding room opened up and cages where one by one transported into a nearby van, Ray suddenly became aware of an oppressing presence near her.

"I would say good job, but seeing as how this is far from a job well done, as you all failed to catch a single worthwhile criminal, I guess I don't have to bother" Commented Andrew as he, Jones, Thrax and Drix wandered their way closer to the two girls.

"Hey, Jones, what the hell were you thinking when you sent me that text?" Asked Ray, finding it rather easy to ignore the grey cell standing next to her. The same could not be said however of the small, incendiary leer that the now recovered Thrax sent her way. Taking her head butt as a warning, the virus had so far stayed away from her since the S.F.F.F. arrived, but Ray knew that he was biding his time until he could continue on in his new game with her, a game that held different rules and went beyond flirtatious words...

Before she could think more on what she had just interpreted in the look the virus sent her way though, Rachel returned her attention on her friends in time to see Jones's relived expression at seeing her unharmed fall away to confusion.

"Sent text, what are you talking about Ray? I lost my phone this morning; I have been trying to find it all day!"

"Well then who the hell sent me that text telling me that back up wasn't available?!" Ray knew she didn't need a reply to answer her question as she directed a glare right at Andrew, the right hand of the mayor smirking confidently.

"All the animals and viruses are now my responsibility, so if you don't mind, I am going to go do my job. Oh, Jones, you dropped this. You should really take better care of your personal items…" Ozzy caught the cell that Andrew tossed at him before he turned to send a not so subtle wink towards Rachel. Yeah, he knew she was trying to get over her hate for him, and he was trying to do everything in his power to prevent that from ever being possible.

"I really, really, really hate that man" She growled out, the others nodding in agreement. But thankfully, before they could speak about their suspicions on the reason why mayor's man putt them all in danger, again, and ponder themselves into a bottomless hole, Zane and his new friend, Gypsy, trotted over.

"Oh, come here Darling. I am so proud of you, you sly dog you" Cooed Rachel as she bent down to give Zane a greatly deserved ear scratch. The rabies virus leaned into his mistress's touch, his loud purr at the cell's affection causing the pink feline to tilt her head in confusion.

"Well now, let's take a look of you new friend here, Gypsy wasn't it?" Said Ray as she turned her attention over to the female that stood off a little ways from her and the others. Hearing her name being called, Gypsy's ears perked right up. Upon seeing Ray's out stretched hand, the Cat Scratch infection tentatively came forward, head bent down in timid suspicion. Soon though, Gypsy was near enough to allow Ray to gently scratch at her chin. Zane let out a pleased rumble as instantly his pink companion relaxed at the touch of his mistress, happy that the two most important females in his life were bonding so easily.

"Oh, what a beautiful girl…" Spoke Leah softly as she too leaned down besides Ray, placing a tender hand on the rosy feline. Enjoying her first taste of true affection, Gypsy let out a loud purr, closing her green eyes in contentment as the two women showed her in coos and fusses.

"Uh, Leah? That thing might be contagious or something-"

"Does she look contagious to you?" Leah interrupted her boyfriend, taking the pink creature in her arms in an embrace. Jones felt like groaning in exasperation as he saw a familiar doe eyed look emerge on Gypsy's face, knowing exactly who taught her how to do that.

"No…" He grumbled out, sending a glare at the smug looking Zane.

"Well good, cause I am taking her home" Announced Leah as she straightened herself up, disbelieving gawks directed at her.

"Uhm, Miss Leah, are you sure you want to be doing that?" Invoked Drix.

"I trust Zane's judgment of character" Rebutted Leah as she gave said rabies virus a pat on the head, causing his tail to twitch with happiness at seeing the purple woman his mistress was so fond of.

"Besides," She said as she turned her gaze onto the distant van where the sounds of confused animals could be heard as more cages where stuffed into it "I don't think whatever Andrew's got planned for those creatures is anything near pleasant. That, and I have been thinking about getting a guard dog, cat, thing" Ray chuckled as she stood herself up, shedding her once new and rather stylish looking torn suit jacket as she did so.

"There's no use arguing with her Jones" Rachel told the ice blue cell who looked like he was about to protest again "What Leah says, goes" She added, stating like this was a fact proven by science. Jones let his head fall into an exhausted slump. There were too many questions running through his head from Andrew's most recent offenses to try and challenge that truth. He needed a drink, and he needed one now.

"Come on gang, let's go get so drunk that Drix's singing sounds good"

"Since when have you ever heard me sing?"

"Shut up you two, and not a word from either of you until I am completely inebriated"

"Yes ma'am"

"Call me ma'am again Jones and you will be spitting your teeth out for a week" The gang of misfits and oddities continued in their banter as they headed over to where they had parked their vehicles. Sneers, glares, smirks, and laughter abounded much in the hospital that as the members of Frank's Finest downed one bottle after the next as the night progressed, celebrating the fact that they had all survived another case with friends, lovers, and enemies.

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

Ten chapters done! Hurray! And what's this (how many times have I said this by now?)?! Looks like Ray and Thrax are getting closer than ever…hmmm… ;) Just wait until Chapter 12! *Laughs evilly and manically*

And yeah, I have a thing for warehouses don't I? Let's see if I can break that odd habit…Also, I apologize for this chapter for being so cheesy and mushy-gushy at points, I got a soft spot for animals…I also hoped that you guys enjoyed seeing things from Zane's perspective for a bit. I go to admit, the loveable rabies virus, besides Rachel of course, is my favorites O.C. character for my story, because, what's not to love about him? I guess it's because he is a favorite of mine that I made a girl for him. I seem to be doing that for all of the characters huh? First Drix, now Zane, all that's left is Andrew…*gags* That is assuredly not going to happen! I do apologize that the last part of the chapter was rather anticlimactic to the whole explosion and the intimate moment with Thrax and Ray, but I wanted to tie up some loose ends.

One last thing guys, this chapter has taken a big step in Thrax and Ray's dysfunctional relationship, so please let me know if I handled this change well! And please let me know if I am still keeping to the characters personalities!

Anyway, like always, unlikely the same time, but defiantly same place. Till then…

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Keep on turning up the heat…


	11. Chapter 11 Sir Knight

Chapter 11; Sir Knight:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

A shout out must be given to **ArtemisDragonheart13**, who has bestowed upon Andrew the lovely nickname of 'Andrew Ass-Face'. Thank you Artemis, I will be defiantly using this in future chapters!

This chapter is going to be vastly different from any you guys have seen so far, as it will be rather apparent to you all in the beginning. Just think of this world I have tossed the characters (who are not entirely true to character, but just go with it!) into a medieval England if magic and demons were real! In other words, just go along with it, it's just gonna be a wild ride that will hopefully make sense in the end, or not ;) Oh, and its also a little cheesy. Mm, cheeessseeee.

And the song used in this chapter is **_Dreams to Dreams_** from _An American Tale: Fievel Goes West_. Beautiful song really, go listen to the version as sung by **_Charmie Sweets_**, the little lady has quite the voice!

~o0o~

_All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts… ~ William Shakespeare_

Misty hills rolled under a clouded sky, blending greys with deep greens indistinguishably as the sun tried its best to create the morning over the forest, and shed a bit more light upon the lush land. For all the sun's efforts though, the air remained thick, hiding all the secrets and forgotten ancients that were lost to time and place within the kingdom. In the forest itself, though dense, the wilting trees and mist were parted by a single, simple dirt road. And upon this road, were the world's finest knight and wickedest demon.

"Jones, we do not owe any allegiance to the king of this land, so why do we go to answer his summons?" Asked the demon, his deep, haunting voice echoing throughout the forest as he commanded his proud steed of black on forward. His shorter and less imposing companion laughed heartily.

"Because Thraximus, we are the heroes of legend, when a voice cries out for help, we answer, for that is the calling, nay, the duty of heroes! That, and we need the money" Thraximus smirked at his friend's quip, a few dark dreads falling across his unearthly face as he shook his head amusedly.

"You, Sir Jones, are the heroic knight. I am merely the demon who follows after you, watching your back and keeping it safe until the day I can take back what is mine, and more"

"Ah, but that day shall not be until the day I die" Sir Jones replied, his friendly tone giving way to the true feelings he felt for his accursed lifelong companion.

"Which I look forward to readily" The demon reminded him. The two fell into an uneasy silence as they shared a dark glance, the horses continuing to take them to their destination without their urgency. It was not easy for either man to always be around the one who would kill you if not for the lingering deal they had made with another. Back when he was a newly knighted warrior of the realm of Shane, Jones' first task was to kill the demon who now rode beside him, but upon finding the demon to be of equal strength and persistence, he saw potential. Leaving the their battle only to return later that night, he stole the demon's only treasured possession, the chain that held the souls of all his victims, and he hid it away in a location that none but he knew how to find. Discovering his chain gone, the demon perused the knight, but held back his vengeance when the demon saw the knight most willing to make a deal. Aid in protecting the land of his people, and once his mortal life was spent, he would tell the demon where his chain could be found, and he would readily give him his own soul…

"Yes, I know you are Thraximus. But I do not plan on dying anytime soon" Finally retorted the knight of azure skin, lazily scratching his black haired chin as he let the dark feelings pass through him. The demon smirked once more.

"You mortals never plan on dying, and yet there is nothing you can do to prevent it…" Thraximus let his voice trail off as the forest and midst that had for so long blocked their view parted, unfurling an impressive castle surrounded by a wall of grey stone. The stronghold and the town surrounding it crowned the top of a large hill, looking out over the forest as if it alone was the sole thing worthy of the sun's rays.

"Well, it is good to know that our employer will be able to compensate us!" Exclaimed the knight as he spurred his horse faster at the sight of their destination. The demon commanded his own horse to follow after as the two men made their way up the clearing, heading straight for the iron barred gate.

Within moments, the two strange companions had traveled under the gate and were making their way through the small market area and sparse housing that separated the castle from the outer wall. Though early in the morning, the townsfolk were already at their work, but upon looking at the two, stopped to gawk. Thraximus was used to this, the mortals expressions bright and hopeful at the sight of Sir Jones in his brown leather armor and confident smile, and fawning when women were concerned. But as soon as they spotted him, with his skin of blood red, garbed in spiked armor and a jacket of finest black, they cringed, and looked away for fear of meeting his yellow eyes that were said to steal men's souls with but a glance. In time, the two had reached the inner gate of the small fortress, greeted by two smiling faces.

"Brave Sir Jones and companion, welcome! I am Drixenol, the king's advisor, and this is my wife, the Lady Abigail"

"A pleasure to be of service to you both" The man of red and yellow steel and his wife of scarlet skin bowed to the two travelers as they dismounted their horses, handing off the reigns to an awaiting page boy.

"Well met Sir Drixenol and Lady Abigail, I and my companion, Thraximus, have come per your king's request. If you both would be so kind as to lead us to him now, as I am curious to know just what crisis has arisen that he should seek our help" Said Jones as he bowed back to the unusually tall, and strange, couple. Thraximus merely sneered at the pair, never one for social interactions. With a nod from both, the advisor and wife beckoned the knight and demon inside.

To say that the inside of the stone keep was decorated lavishly was an underestimation. It was covered, buried in finery, silks, gold plated columns, and shined armor statues. Whoever this king was, he was rich, and he did flaunt it. At reaching the end of the long entrance hall, the group stopped in front of a closed curtain, where whispers of courtiers could be heard beyond it.

"The king is awaiting you in the throne room, if you would please, leave your weapons here" Obeying the request of Lady Abigail, Jones unbuckled the belt that held the scarab for his sword, handing it over to a nervous looking guard. The yellow clad woman then turned to ask the same of the demon, but was made silent upon seeing Thraximus raise up his left hand.

"I have no need of…mortal weapons" He spoke with a smirk, taking delight in seeing the mortals cringe at the sight of his fore claw as it turned scorchingly bright with the heat of his power.

"He will not harm those I do not wish him to" Comforted Sir Jones as he implored Thraximus to lower his hand with a stern look, to which the demon reluctantly obeyed. Nodding nervously, the advisor parted the curtain, reviling an expecting crowd of nobles. Like the hall way, the throne room was decorated in the land's finest, and so where the people within it, showing off jewelry so gaudy that it nearly blinded the new comers. With the advisor and his wife bringing up the rear, Jones and Thraximus made their way through the parted crowd, not caring for the fluttering gossip the nobles flurried themselves into at the sight of them.

"Sir Jones, it gladdens me that you had come to my aid so quickly" Called out the grey toned man sitting upon the raised throne, his seemingly ever smiling face reminding Thraximus of a plucked peacock, his robe of fine silk and ruby crown taking the place of feathers. Upon reaching the bottom step of the raised platform, Jones lowered himself to one knee to show his respect, knowing that his imortal companion would not do the same. However, the king seemed unphased at this, and just continued on.

"I have called you to my court because I am in dire need of your help. I heard from the King of Shane that you are a fine knight, and if you prove that is true by completing the task I have for you, you shall be rewarded greatly"

"I thank you my King Colonic, but you have yet to tell me what it is you need me and Thraximus for" Said Jones as he rose up, looking into the King's eyes unafraid.

"Please, call me Tomas" Said the king as he stood up from his throne, his thick robe falling about his tall, lean form.

"I have called you here because the only child of my deceased brother Frank, the Princess Leah, has been taken by the evil sorcerer Andrew" Said Tomas as he stepped down from the platform, gesturing to a tapestry on the wall as he did so. Sir Jones turned to gaze at the suspended cloth, and felt his heart pick up to a wild pace at what he saw. It was a depiction of the fairest lady he had ever seen, with skin colored a gentle lavender, and eyes shining black.

"Why, why would this sorcerer do such a thing?" Asked Jones, his mouth becoming little dry as he continued to gape at the softly curved figure of the woman depicted in cloth, finding much beauty to behold in the way she posed so confidently. Thraximus, not so nearly enraptured as his companion was with the tapestry, looked over to notice the king's smiling expression become stern with mild irritation.

"Her loyal handmaiden and companion since birth, the Lady Rachel, had broken off her engagement to the black magic user. And so, in his fit of rage with the foolish woman, captured not only her, but my ward as well, and has taken them to his fortress"

"Why was she engaged to the sorcerer?" Asked the demon, his centuries of life cultivating a very astute mind that not even the king's smiling face could fool. For a moment Colonic stared at Thraximus, surprised by his boldness, but answered him none the less.

"Because I ordered her to be. I had wanted to make the Sorcerer Andrew a permanent ally of ours since he had made his home near here. Upon noticing that he had his eye on the young lady, I promised him that he could have her in exchange for his continual support. But the girl out right refused my command, claiming it unjust for me, her king, to order her to do such a task! And so she has brought his wrath down upon us all!" At this, Jones looked away from the tapestry, his expression of taciturn dignity.

"We shall rescue the ladies, King Tomas. Rest assured, we will not return until they are both safe"

"My dear Sir Jones, you do not understand. I only want you to go and implore the Sorcerer to release my ward Leah, and let him know that he may keep the Lady Rachel, with my blessing" Thraximus did not want to hear any more as the King started to get into the details about where the sorcerer's fortress was located and what to say to him. With a sneer, he turned away to walk back out to the main hall, causing the ever fluttering nobles to whisper about such rudeness in the face of their king.

He may be a demon, but he had his pride and short lived patience when it came to dealing with mortals like the king. He may steal people's souls, but that man no doubt tried to do the same, and he just hated mimics.

"Thraximus, you insulted the king with your rudeness" Said Jones after bowing out to the king once he had gathered all he needed, joining his demonic companion out in the main hall. There was such a stark difference between them as the two stood in front of each other, staring at one another. A man of the people, light, with an air of benevolence to him; a demon of his own design, unearthly imposing, with a scowl that could scorch the bravest of souls…

"Yes, I suppose I did. And I suppose you are just fine with being the envoy to relay his cruel message to the lady that she must live with a man she does not want? And you mortals call me cruel" Said Thraximus as he straightened himself to his full height, never one to take reprimanding from anyone, even the man who owned him. Jones flinched under the demon's cruel words, but soon recovered his calm composure.

"Since when do you care about the dealings of a mortal woman's fate?"

"I care for nothing in this world save my chain" Replied the demon truthfully with a feral sneer "But I do know of what it is like being forced to do something against one's will" He added, taking satisfaction in the guilt that etched its way into Jones expression. The azure skinned man sighed, nodding his head in agreement.

"It is a troubling predicament. Rescue one lady, and damn the other to a cruel fate…" Before he could make up his mind about the whole matter, a tentative voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Sir Jones, Sir Thraximus?" Asked the Lady Abigail as she left the throne room, closing the curtains behind her after her husband the advisor had joined them.

"We too, wish to implore your aid sir knight" Spoke Drixenol, his face grim but determined as he looked both men in the eyes.

"For what?" Asked Jones as he made a stand next to Thraximus, whom he noticed was becoming quite irate at having to spend so much time amongst those he considered vermin compared to him.

"We want you to also rescue the Lady Rachel. Free her from the sorcerer" Stated Abigail, taking out a locket from within the folds of her yellow gown.

"But your king wishes her to remain with him" Stated Thraximus, becoming interested at the unexpected turn of betrayal. While the mortals were at times only annoying at best, their backstabbing ways did always amuse him.

"Yes, he does. But we do not want our friend to remain in with that horrid man" As she spoke, Abigail handed Sir Jones the now open locket, two lovely faces greeting him from within the silver circlet. One was the fair Leah, made more fair by the smile that graced her face in the small painting, opposite her was another woman of the same age, with hair a uncommon silver and skin of sapphire.

"The lady opposite Leah is Rachel" Spoke Drixenol, his voice betraying the deep care he had for both the captured women "Though of not royal blood, she is very precious to many here in this land. Her honesty, cleverness, and bravery has saved many from the king's own wrath, including that of Princess Leah and myself" He continued as Thraximus looked over the short stature of Jones to gaze down at the locket. Staring into a pair of obsidian blue eyes that seemed to glare harshly back despite being lifeless; he had to admit the scorning lady was striking. It was no wonder the sorcerer coveted her even with her lowly position in the court.

"We will give you all we have, but please, rescue our ladies" Pleaded Abigail, her husband nodding solemnly in agreement with her. Jones sighed heavily; how could he refuse such a beseeching request? Besides, he didn't think the princess would agree to leaving her friend behind with the very man who captured them in the first place, and far be it from him to do anything against such a lovely lady…

"Though I do not fancy the wrath of your king when we return, we shall do as you ask, no payment needed" Spoke Jones, causing the demon to glare at him angrily at hearing the 'no payment needed' part.

"Oh, thank you sir knight!" Exclaimed the woman as she wrapped her arms around Jones' neck in her excitement, her doubts flying away.

"Urhm, yes, thank you" Said her husband, looking a little uncomfortable with his wife's actions as she moved on to embrace the demon, who was discomfited by this act as well "And to aid you, we will give you Gypsy and Zane to take with you on your journey" Upon hearing the strange names, Jones turned to see a pair of even stranger creatures emerge from the shadows of the spacious hall way, taken aback by their appearance.

"Devil hounds" Muttered Thraximus as he too caught sight of the rosy and black animals that stalked towards them carefully, unsure of the outsiders before them.

"Yes, they may be creatures of your demonic realm Sir Thraximus, but they are also the close companions of our Ladies Leah and Rachel. They shall serve you well in your quest to rescue both, as they are loyal to those who seek to protect their mistresses" Spoke Drixenol as he beckoned the creatures forward. With a soft growl, the respective red and green eyed animals Zane and Gypsy greeted Thraximus and Jones, the knights easily able to determine which hound belonged to which lady.

"Very well, we thank you" Said Jones finally after seeing the animals sit down beside him, unwavering obedience etched into their features. The advisor let out a breath of relief, as if Sir Jones acceptance of the animals was something he had feared not to gain for their own sake.

"No, thank you, Sir Jones and Sir Thraximus. Our ladies are very important to us, and most dear…"

o0o

Hours later found the two strange companions and odd animals traveling down the road towards the direction the sorcerer's fortress, the now bright sun having burned away all the early morning midst. Looking down at the open locket Lady Abigail let him keep for what must have been the dozenth time since they had set out, Jones sighed.

"She is out of your league Jones" Said Thraximus, knowing exactly what was causing his friend to pine like a gangling lad despite him being far out ahead, the six legged creature named Zane by his horse's side.

"I know, but still. Beautiful, lovely, elegant, no words seem fit enough to describe her" Said Jones as he tucked away the locket into a pocket before spurring his horse to catch up with the demon.

"Have you not ever been in love Thraximus?" The demon sneered in disgust at being asked such a question, but soon answered just the same. He had a lifetime to spend with this man, so might as well enjoy the company he had until it ended, though he was using the term 'enjoy' very loosely.

"No. The females of my kind are not as so tender as yours are. They prefer power over love, and will betray their mate at the first sign that he has become too weak to support her desire for supremacy"

"Hm, I believe demonic ladies are not the only ones who do as such my friend" Stated Jones, thinking over all the women who had tried to seduce him in order to gain fame as being his conquest "But it is refreshing to see someone like Lady Rachel refuse such a thing"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, to disobey a king and refuse to wed a powerful sorcerer is something I do not think an ordinary, mortal woman would ever be capable of. She must have quite the spirit…" The two fell into silence awhile as Thraximus thought over what Jones had said, remembering the way the sapphire woman's eyes did shine out with such entertaining resistance. Upon hearing a low, warning growl by his heels, the demon looked down to meet the red eyes of said lady's loyal companion, the beast no doubt cautioning from him thinking about his mistress in such a way.

"Save your strength for the sorcerer mutt" Spoke Thraximus, his gaze lifting up to what lay before them all "It appears we made need you"

The fortress the king had directed them to now stood before them as they left the forest behind, its black stone discouraging all beauty that the green hills and cerulean sky of the homeland held. With an iron bar gate and a thick wall of what appeared to be steel, the odd companions knew they were in for an interesting time.

"Shall we Sir Jones?"

"We shall Sir Thraximus" Said Jones as he spurred his horse to follow after the demon's galloping pace, Gypsy and Zane somehow managing to keep up. Soon enough the four found themselves within the small courtyard of the fortress, having been able to easily climb over the wall with their means of rope or claws, leaving their horses behind. So far it appeared that the sorcerer had no guards or servants as the place seemed to be bereft of life; maybe he thought himself to powerful to need any.

"Did you hear that?" Asked Thraximus, pausing in his climb up the stairs to the main building of the small fortress.

"Hear what?" Questioned Jones as he came to stand beside his confidant, trying to pick up what the demon's more powerful senses had.

"Sounds like, singing" Upon entering the main building through the thick wooden doors, Jones soon enough detected what Thraximus had earlier as he, followed by the demon and the surprisingly silent and composed animals, walked down a darkened hallway.

**_Dreams to dream_**

**_In the dark of the night_**

**_When the world goes wrong_**

**_I can still make it right_**

If Jones had not trained himself to resist powerful incantations, he just might have fallen deep under the spell the sirens singing had cast, their voices far lovelier than he could imagine anything corporeal to be capable of. Continuing to walk down the hall in tense silence, the knight drew his sword as silently as he could; noticing the demon walking beside him set his fore claw aglow in preparation. Whatever trickery the sorcerer had lined up for them, they would be ready.****

**_I can see so far in my dreams_**

**_I'll follow my dreams_**

**_Until they come true_**

The four strange beings turned the corner at the end of the hall, entering the room where the singing was the loudest. There, bathed in the light of the late afternoon sun that shone through the numerous glass paned windows, were two maidens of sapphire and lavender, standing tall and proud in the middle of the room as they sang, entirely enraptured with singing their sweet duet.

**_Don't let go _**

**_If you stay close to me_**

**_In my dreams tonight_**

**_You will see what I see_**

Jones felt his heart pick up to a deafening pace at discovering the lady of the tapestry and locket was now standing before him in the flesh, neither depiction doing her justice. She was garbed in a clinging dress of deep purple to match her tone, a circlet of silver keeping her short hair tamed as she spun herself about, completely ignorant of his presence. As much as Thraximus wished he was not in the same gawking state as his companion, he could not. While admitting that the lavender lady, who no doubt was the princess Leah, was a beauty, it was the other who held his interest. Bearing the same sapphire tone and silver hair as he had seen in the locket, he could not look away from the woman clad in white whose face beamed happily as the two ladies continued to dance to the song they spun, their flowing gowns spinning about them.

**_Dreams to dream_**

**_As near as can be_**

**_Inside you and me_**

**_They always come true_**

Ending their song with a bow to each other, the two women laughed. But it was not the light chitter of young girls, more like the defiant mirth of trouble makers. Stepping closer to the middle of the room to announce their presence, Jones felt something catch his foot.

A wire.

It was all a trap.

"Get down Thraximus!" Shouted the knight as he threw himself down onto the floor, noticing a large axe poised at the end of the wire by the wall. Obeying Jones' words just in time to have the deadly weapon graze over the top of his head in its swinging arch, Thraximus dropped to the stone ground with a pained grunt. Hearing the dreaded weapon collided with the grey stone on the other side of the room, the two men finally lifted their heads to look over at the women who nearly killed them.

"Damn it! Our trap was flawless, but now it appears to have been wasted on two bumbling fools!" Complained the sapphire lady as she pinned a rebellious tress of hair back into the loose bun gathered at the nape of her neck, looking down at the two men with a frustrated frown.

"It was flawless, we just did not expect anyone but the sorcerer to enter here" Stated the Lady Leah, her expression one of a more apologetic than that her companion. Looking as if she was just about to question the two men who had now picked themselves up, she was stopped upon noticing the two animals that had fortunately also escaped the trap.

"Gypsy! Zane! You're here!" Leah shouted, her excited tone catching the attention of the scowling woman who had to be Lady Rachel.

"Darling!" She exclaimed at the dark skinned creature, who in turn growled tenderly. Immediately forgetting the men's presence, the two women ran over to embrace their pets, the animals purring as excitedly as their mistresses were cooing.

"Ahem, um, ladies?" Asked Jones after recovering from not only almost getting his head copped off, but also being ignored for a pair of animals by the women they were supposed to rescue. Instantly the two ladies straightened themselves up, composing their faces to that of haughty indifference.

"And who be you sirs, that you would intrude into the home of a very powerful sorcerer?" Asked the princess Leah as she stepped confidently closer to the pair of men, Rachel right by her side.

"We, we a-are the knights your uncle, King Colonic, has implored to rescue you, pr-princess Leah" Stuttered the man under the pressure of such beguiling and beautiful eyes.

"Knights? Hardly. More like undeveloped page boys pretending to be men if you ask me" Said Rachel as she looked over Jones and then Thraximus, her tone matching her condescending scowl as she folded her arms across her chest. The demon merely chuckled, finding his prediction about the woman's ability to entertain correct.

"Well my lady, if thou wishes me to prove my manliness to you, I would do so willingly…" The sapphire tint of the young woman cheek's turned a bright pink at the demon's purring tone, finding his eyes of yellow to be most unsettling, especially when said eyes were trained not on her face, but her figure.

"What are your names good sirs?" Asked Leah before her lifelong friend could throw back her indisputably un-lady like comeback to the demon.

"I am Sir Jones, of the neighboring kingdom of Shane. This is my companion, the demon Thraximus" Announced Jones as he took a grand bow, giving the lavender lady his most charming smile. Though pretending to not be impressed, Leah curtsied back, stiffening as she head Rachel laugh bitterly.

"So you are the one who tamed a demon by stealing his chain. Tell me, what's it like having such an ugly thing as your pet?" Thraximus smirked in the face of the woman's insult, finding her attempt to anger him as repayment to his lewd comment oddly charming. Appears jones was right; this woman had much spirit if she found insulting a demon a laughing matter.

"It can be troublesome at times, especially when villagers run us out of their town at the sight of his ugly face. But one gets used to that" Quipped Jones, causing both ladies to laugh as the demon sent a warning glare to the knight.

"How odd, and all this time I thought the peasant men chased us because you refused to leave their pretty daughters alone" Rebutted Thraximus, only successful in making the Rachel laugh, which she immediately tried to cover up when he turned to smirk at her.

"Well, you are here to rescue us, and for that, we thank you" Spoke Leah as she took another step towards Jones, finding the way he gapped in embarrassment over the demon's slur endearing.

"Yes, we thank you. Now leave before the sorcerer returns and kills you both on sight" Rachel added, her six legged companion's purr ceasing at hearing her speak in such a despondent tone.

"We are used to dealing with sorcerers, madam; this one will be no differen-"

"You are wrong Sir Jones" Kindly interrupted Leah, her expression crestfallen "Andrew is without a doubt the most powerful magic user in this kingdom, he has killed more than a thousand men"

"Our only hope to defeat him was to take him by utter surprise, but even then, I knew that our trap would have never been enough to truly end him…" Rachel sighed, her expression falling into a deeper sadness than Leah expressed. Feeling the need for space, she walked over to the nearest window, her friend and animals realizing her wanting to be alone as they stayed behind. As Leah and Jones further discussed the matter of whether a rescue was to take place or not, Thraximus walked over to join the lone lady, his towering, shadowy form enveloping her small figure as he came closer.

"If you had no faith in your trap working, why set it?" He asked as he leaned against the side of the window the lady looked out of, catching a twitch of annoyance pass over her face at seeing him so close to her.

"I had hoped that my attempt to kill him would subtly persuade him into not marrying me" She replied with a hallow laugh as she played with the locket that graced her neck, her mention of marriage to the sorcerer unsettling her further.

"You would be surprised at how many men actually find their lady trying to kill them rather…stimulating" Thraximus replied with a flourish of his hand, his deep chuckle resounding as the woman looked at him in disgusted surprise.

"And this is exactly the reason why I want to become a nun" Sighed the woman as she pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. With her gaze cast down, the demon took advantage at looking over lady's form without the presence of her disapproving scowl. She was beautiful, though not in the overt way the princess was. Her loveliness was more subtle, as was the curves of her slender body and the teasing way her loose tendrils of hair brushed against her upper back the off shoulder gown she wore exposed.

"Do not do such a thing my lady; it would be a great loss to this world if you vowed to refrain from the pleasures of the flesh" He whispered low, leaning close to the woman to ensure that she heard every word. Seeing Rachel look up at him once more in blushing shock, the demon's chest swelled with manly pride at having succeeded in drawing out such a reaction from the mortal woman who was rapidly becoming more and more interesting.

"Of all the things living, a man's the worst!" Exclaimed Rachel as she left the demon by the window side, resisting the urge she had to slap the leer right off the immortal being's face. Leah, who was just starting to enjoy the company of a certain knight, was then about to ask what had caused her friend to shout out, when the sound of the heavy set doors to the fortress opening was heard.

"My dear, I have returned"

The sapphire woman froze save for the trembling of her hands at hearing the voice of the sorcerer resound throughout the empty halls and rooms of the accursed fortress. Without a moment to lose, she turned swiftly back to grab Thraximus' hand; dragging him over to the spot Leah was usurping Jones too.

"Go! Please, if you value your lives, leave us here!" She whispered low when she and Leah succeeded in pushing the demon and knight, along with their animal companions, behind the heavy set curtain of a wide window.

"No, we will take you both away from this place!" Declared Jones as he took the hands of the princess in his own, wanting to assure her of his desire to free her. Leah couldn't find the strength to tell him to leave, and Rachel too was having a difficult time in ridding herself completely of any hope at being rescued.

"Fine then, run now and later tonight return. Then the sorcerer shall be busy and you might be able take him by surprise" Spoke Rachel, her eyes darting back and forth from the demon in front of her to the single entrance way to the room, where the sounds of the sorcerer's footsteps could be heard rapidly approaching.

"Why, what is tonight?" Asked Thraximus as he tried to step out from the tight space Rachel had driven him into with Jones. The sad smile the sapphire woman graced him with stopped him in his efforts, finding his strength taken from him at the sight of such a wretched, and yet bewitching expression.

"My wedding night" At her declaration, even Jones and Leah stopped in their small argument, pity and sympathy surfacing on their faces. Blinking away what small tears the horrid fact brought to life, Rachel stared straight into Thraximus' piercing eyes as she grasped his clawed hand tightly, surprising the demon.

"Come tonight. I shall distract him as you two first take Leah far away from here" She paused as her gaze and voice lowered, as if in prayer "And then, please, come for me" With one last look at the men who were feeling like cowards compared to the amount of bravery the two ladies' possessed, Leah closed the thick curtain, shielding every sign of their presence.

"Ah, my dear Rachel, how beautiful you look in your wedding gown!" Announced the darkly robed sorcerer as he at last entered the room, a bitter smile set on his face as he approached the women standing in the middle of the room. Rachel said nothing as she stepped defensively out in front of Leah, who refused to leave her side. Not deterred by her cold, composed glare in the least, the dark grey toned man took the hand of the rebellious woman and brought it toward his lips.

"And how much lovelier you shall look in the nightgown I have chosen for this evening," he paused to kiss the sapphire hand of the woman whose taciturn expression turned to one of disgust "before I remove it of course…"

"A master of magics and spells you may be Andrew, but a weaver of charms, you most certainly are not" Spoke Rachel as she took back her hand, adding insult to injury as she wiped the moist kiss he left on her dress. From behind the curtain, Thraximus found it difficult not to chuckle as the confident face of the sorcerer fell at the lady's affront. She was such a charmer.

"Leave us" Andrew commanded the princess with a dangerous glare. After receiving a reassuring nod from Rachel, Leah started to take her leave, departing the room only after glancing apprehensively back at both her friend and the hidden heroes. Now alone, or so he thought, Andrew turned his attention onto the sapphire woman who met his gaze defiantly, his bitter smile creeping its way back onto his face.

"So much boldness to be found in such a lovely form. I must confess it was what first gained my attention" He spoke, his voice potent with menace as he began to circle Rachel, his slow steps echoing off the walls of the spacious room "I remember the first day I saw you-"

"As do I. As I recall, I believe I told you to go drown yourself in the moat" the lady had little time to enjoy the resulting expression of the sorcerer her words created, her soft chuckle cut off by a hiss of pain as he grabbed at the base of her neck harshly.

"You will learn to not test my patience my dear if you value your neck and your princess" He snarled sternly as he brought her close, pressing her back to his chest in an intimate embrace. From a small opening of the thick curtain, Thraximus could see the distressed woman bite her lip, trying her best to resist crying out in despair as the sorcerer brought his face to rest against the side of hers, his arms tightening around her waist.

"You will be mine Rachel…"

A heated sensation went through the demon as he saw the mortal man begin to place rough kisses on the exposed neck of the woman trapped, causing him to let loose a low, feral growl. It was not a jealous feeling per say, but he confessed he greatly disliked seeing the lady he desired to claim in the arms of another man, he being an admittedly coveting demon. Looking at the silent knight at his side, Thraximus could see a similar anger arise in Jones as Rachel unsuccessfully tried to break free of Andrew's grasp.

"Well Jones, do we hide here like cowards, or do we rescue the damsels?" Meeting the gaze of the demon he had cursed himself to spend his life with in order to protect all, Jones smirked.

"I say we teach the sorcerer a painful lesson about how to treat a maiden properly" With that, the two men, quickly followed by the just as infuriated animals, stepped out from behind the curtain.

"Unhand the lady, sorcerer!" Announced Jones as he drew his sword once more and Thraximus called forth his scorching power.

"What is this?!" Asked Andrew as he turned to see four unwelcomed guests make their way over. Taking advantage of his surprise that loosened his grip considerably, Rachel drove her elbow into his gut, hard.

"I believe _this_ is where I tell you that I shall never marry such a foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach like you!" Shouted the lady as she ran over to door way where Leah had just walked back through upon hearing the sorcerer shout, but not before punching the gapping jaw of the man she despised. The two women embraced each other, their loyal animal companions running over to join them. Even though this is completely opposite the plan they thought the knights agreed to, the ladies were never the less very glad to see that the men had decided not to leave them.

"By order of King Colonic, you are to release the princess and lady to us"

"Or what?" Questioned the sorcerer as he straightened himself up, slicking back his hair in an attempt to compose himself from the little woman's surprisingly strong blows.

"Or we shall kill you and take the ladies anyway" Stated Thraximus as he and Jones stepped closer to Andrew. Once more letting a bitter smirk creep onto his face, the sorcerer opened up the palms of his hands, calling forth the black magic that had served him well in his life time.

"A demon and the man who sold his soul to him, how desperate is the king to have sent such lowly creatures to battle me?" He asked no one in particular as sparks of black danced in his hands, his magic taking corporeal form in the shape of dark flames. Without giving any sort of warning, the sorcerer launched his attack, sending streams of his magic towards the two men.

Having years of experience on their side, both Jones and Thraximus avoided the blazing spheres that were aimed at their faces, splitting to try and take the sorcerer from both the left and right. Not one without his own fair share of fighting, Andrew commanded stones of his own home to be brought to life, and fire themselves upon the two men.

"Zane, Gypsy, help them out!" Requested Leah of the animals as she looked on in horror as Jones took a stone slab to the gut, the blow forcing him back against the far wall in a sickening crash. With a gruff, the creatures did as ordered, and charged themselves at the turned back of Andrew as Leah looked around for something to fight with. Rachel on the other hand, had happened across a weapon, the axe from her trap earlier.

"Andrew!" At the sound of his name, the sorcerer turned from the demon that his magic had bound in a constricting hold in an attempt to crush the life out of him. Catching the sight of a rather large axe flying towards his face accompanied by two hellish creatures charging for him, Andrew worked his magic as quick as he could to protect himself, but not quick enough.

"You little bitch!" Screamed the sorcerer as he felt the cut the axe had grazed his cheek with start to bleed after he had thrown the animals away to the side with his magic.

"I warned you not to test my patience my dear! Now you shall learn that the painful way!" Striding closer to the woman who tripped over the unfortunately lengthy wedding dress in her attempt to back away from him, the dark magician concentrated all his magic onto the lady before him. Like snakes constricting their prey, two black streams of magic wound their way around Rachel, who could not even scream as she felt the things try to crush out her very life just in the same manner the sorcerer had tried with the demon.

"Let her go you vulgar creature!" Shouted Leah as she finally found a weapon to throw at the sorcerer, her pointed shoes. Seeing Andrew turn to deal with his princess, Jones found the strength within him to finally crawl up from the floor he had crashed against, picking up his sword. But it appeared that his aid would not be needed.

"Tut-tut my good man. Has no one ever told you how to properly treat a lady?" Asked Thraximus from behind the sorcerer before he slashed a deep gash across the back of the man who had not noticed his presence until it was too late. Doubled over in pain as he tried to contain the demon's infecting magic, Andrew backed away from the demon, muttering curses as Jones, Leah, and the hellion animals joined besides Thraximus' side.

"If you think this is all it takes to defeat me, then you are dead wrong!" He threatened. Raising his hands to the ceiling of his fortress, calling forth all his power, the sorcerer started to shout out an ancient incantation.

"Wha-what is going on?!" Shouted Jones as he felt the ground around him start to quake.

"He plans to bring the roof down upon us!" Exclaimed Leah as she wobbled unsteadily until finally finding stability in clasping her arms around the azure knight's neck. Thraximus sneered, as if he would allow himself to be defeated by such a lowly mortal. It was insulting enough to his pride that the sorcerer had nearly brought him down with his magic once, but a second time? Never.

"I shall banish you all to the hell you belong to!" Shouted the sorcerer just as the stone slab ceiling above the five sparked to life with his magic, black beams streaming out form the cracks. All looked up, and knew that any second know, the whole thing would come crashing down upon them all if they did not do something quickly. Deciding to be the one to take the initiative, Thraximus strode forward, his claw glowing at the ready by his side. In his anger, the sorcerer did not notice or care that the demon was coming closer to him, but either way, it did not matter, for Thraximus was not the one who got to him first.

"You first!" Exclaimed a defiant voice from behind the sorcerer. Without time enough to turn around to face her, Andrew fell back at the blow the thought indisposed Lady Rachel had given him with the random stone she had picked up. Collapsing onto the floor as he grasped his face in pain, the sorcerer tried to work up a spell to repay the sapphire woman with, but found his magic spent.

The ceiling. Looking up, Andrew saw that in his anger, all his power had been sent into trying to make the roof cave in, and by the looks of things that was to be any second. Thraximus noticed the look of fear inspired shock cross the spell weaver's face, and immediately knew what was going to happen.

"Jones, grab the princess!" He shouted back at his companion as he made for Rachel, scooping her up easily in one arm.

"Zane, Gypsy, follow!" Commanded Leah from her position in Jones' arms as the knight chased after the demon, who was heading straight for the window in front of him. Discovering his intention, Rachel buried her face in Thraximus' jacket, shutting her eyes tightly at the sound of glass breaking and the sickening feeling of gravity taking over.

Thankfully, the fall was quick, the window only being on the first floor. But still, with the momentum they all had built up in their panic, Thraximus and Rachel, quickly followed by Jones, Leah, Zane, and Gypsy all felt at a loss for breath as they quickly rolled down the small hill the fortress was on.

Soon though, gravity and momentum released the poor things in time for them to glance back up to the fortress to watch the room they were in not moments ago, fold in on itself. Stone, mortar, and sorcerer were all crushed by the weight of the heavy roof, a cloud of rubble and dust rising up to the sky, accompanied a crescendoing boom. None relaxed or dare breathe until a deafening silence fell over the fortress, the significance of the what had just happen taking the odd company of six a moment to absorb.

"Praise Frank, we did it! I can't believe we did it!" Shouted Rachel finally from her disheveled position near Thraximus, collapsing back onto the grass in a clamorously cheerful laugh as she spotted Zane and Gypsy prance happily about. Glancing away from the sight of her friend Leah launch herself at the azure knight to assuredly make her fond gratitude obvious, Rachel turned her face over to look at the demon lying next to her on the grass.

"Thraximus?" She asked softly, disturbed by how still he looked. Straightening herself up so she was kneeling by his side, the sapphire lady peered down worriedly at the shut eyes of the man who was still alarmingly motionless. Panic set into Rachel's mind as she placed a hand on the demon's wrist and another on his neck, trying to feel for a pulse. Uncertain whether the beat she heard was Thraximus' or her own flustered heart; she leaned down close to see if she could feel his breath upon her cheek. At the lack of heated breath on her skin despite how close she had placed her face to the demon's own, Rachel was just about to call out for the others to come, when suddenly she did feel something.

A pair of lips.

"Of all the impertinence! You, you deceitful, fraudulent, jack knave of a demon!" Shouted the lady as she gave the heartedly laughing demon a well-placed slap on his cheek in return for the not-so-chaste kiss he left on hers.

"Do not be so cross with me" An unruffled Thraximus half purred and chuckled as he sat himself up straight while Rachel scooted herself back to create much needed space between herself and the demon, only to end up tripping over her lengthy dress and falling flat on her back once more on the grass.

"After all I have done, do I not deserve a grateful kiss from my lady fair?" He asked as he leered down at the woman whose clumsiness had landed her once more beside him. Her face set into an expression beyond fuming, Rachel immediately spit back her reply to such a cheeky request from the demon she was growing to dislike greatly, however in debt she was to him.

"Only in your wildest fantasies demon!"

"Every night my lady…"

From his farther off position, Jones chuckled as he heard another slap echo through the grassy knoll, followed quickly by more arguing from the demon and bold lady who would hopefully teach his accursed companion a thing or two about manners. As much as he would love to have seen the expression Thraximus was wearing when the insult 'red faced baboon' was shouted, he was rather preoccupied with laying down on the grass with the Lady Leah's arms around his neck. In her state of gratitude she had yet to not only let go of him, but was also placing fluttering kisses on his face and neck.

"You brave, brave man. How can I ever repay you?" She whispered softly in his ear, a roaming hand of hers playing with the latches of his leather armor in an attempt to be rid of the unwanted attire.

"Well, for starters, you could just, continue in doing what you're doing now"

"And so I shall, my gallant knight, my Jones…"

"Jones?"

"Oh, Leah"

"Um, Jones?"

"Princess Leah"

"Jones, wake up!" Harshly whispered Drix as he threw a well-aimed pillow at the slumbering immunity cell's face.

"What?! Who there, where's the fire?!" Exclaimed Jones as he nearly shot up out from his bed, his drooling face looking around the darkened hospital floor with a bewildered expression, the harsh drop back into reality distorting him greatly.

"You were talking in your sleep" Explained Drix as he rolled himself over in his bed that was set quite a ways from Jones, hoping that he would now be able to sleep before the sun creeped its way up in a couple of hours.

"Man, I was having such a great dream-"

"So I unfortunately heard"

"Why'd you have to ruin it?"

"Because I wished not to be forever scarred by listening to your fantasies" With a grumph, Jones turned away from his true lifelong companion, but not before taking a glance at the virus who played a disturbingly large role in his bizarre dream across the room. Seeing that the virus was still asleep in the bed pushed up against the opposite wall, Jones turned himself over, hoping that he just might drift back into his wonderful fantasy.

From his bed on the other side of the room, Thrax shifted, his darkly rimmed eyes rolling behind closed lids in a fitful slumber. It appears Jones wasn't the only one who was having a good dream as the virus groaned contentedly in his sleep and clawed at the sheet beneath him; the sharp things no doubt shredding the poor bed cover some. Whatever is was he was envisioning, it brought a small smirk to his face, corners pulled up in a delightful leer as he whispered out from his amusing dream.

"My lady…"

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

Well, I hope that this was an enjoyable deviation from the norm of my story! I had a lot of fun writing this and fitting the characters into what kind of roles they would play if they really did live in medieval times and making them talk all fancy, anywho, onto reviewing the chapter!

First off, the line "Of all things living, a man's the worst!" is from the play 'The Taming of the Shrew', a play I love so much that I didn't even need to go look up that line when I typed it! I can honestly see a resemblance between Kat and Petruchio with Ray and Thrax, it's almost scary in fact! And I guess most of you know where the line 'You foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach!' came from, or so I hope *Cough* Harry *Cough* Potter

Also, I wanted to please you all with the ding dong, the wicked Andrew is dead since practically all of you have requested it of me to make Andrew pay for being such a jack-ass. Well, I hoped that this was good enough to tie you all over for a while, cause he ain't leaving *Cough* Yet *Cough*! And I apologize for the rather cliché tid bit of Thrax saying 'My lady…' in his sleep but I couldn't resist! XD

And just what does it mean Jones and Thrax having the same dream? Absolutely nothing! No, seriously, I just wanted to type up this chapter so I could have an excuse for Thrax to say 'My Lady' so many times and also put Rachel into a wedding dress. There was barely any substantial character development or important plot issues directed whatsoever in this chapter, but still, wasn't it fun?

Final note here. I am swamped with school work (or I will be, I am looking at my schedule for this week) which is why this chapter is out a lot earlier than I normally post. So, I hope this ties you all over until I can get the next one out. Maybe some more comments from the 80 readers I know for a fact I have (story stats) would help me finish my work faster…just saying (nah, I'm kidding, but I want to get a few of you to review for an upcoming chapter, as what you guys say will affect the story greatly, as you all will see soon…Mwahahahaha!)

Anyway, hopefully same time, defiantly same place. Till then…

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Keep up the heat…or keep on chillin', which ever you prefer…


	12. Chapter 12 Hot Rod Red

Chapter 12; Hot Rod Red:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

First off, I am so, so, so, so, so sorry that it has taken this long for this chapter to be posted, I have gone through a bit of the sickie-icky ness the world dishes out and have been trying to catch up on the classes I missed. But, I am all better now, and practically caught up in homework! Hurray!

Also, I thought I would warn you all that this is it, the chapter that will change it all. You know what I am talking about **Phantom of the Night 117**, and the rest of you will find out soon enough. Enjoy, and try not to get a nose bleed… MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

~o0o~

_I'll take you higher baby, I'll take you higher baby. I'll set your whole little world on fire baby… ~Uncle Kracker 'Break You Off'_

"Well, here we go again"

"Yeah baby. Let's not try to burn anything down this time, alright?"

"Can't make any promises Red…" Replied Ray as she joined the virus on the back of the motorcycle, her shorter legs having a more difficult time than his lengthy ones had in settling comfortably on the upgraded machine before they took off towards their destination.

As to be expected, it was once again the mayor and his loyal henchman Andrew who got her into this fine situation. Even though they did manage to bring down quite a decent amount of criminals when they went undercover at the animal fights, and many more during the numerous missions over the weeks that passed since then, the pricks still weren't happy with the work of Frank's Finest. So they thought up a plan. An awful plan. The pricks thought up a wonderful, awful, plan.

Since it worked so well the first time, they decided to stick Thrax and Rachel undercover again, only this time, they were going to have to infiltrate the underground viral racing world in hopes of gathering information about the crime bosses who sent members of their gangs to race for the purpose of making a bit of extra cash.

Yippy.

To reach that end, Thrax was going to have to enter the race that was going to taking place this very week with the speedster he had coincidentally just finished building. And for the sake of appearances and as a pair of helping hands, Rachel was to go with him, fulfilling the role of arm candy while Jones and Drix were ordered to stay back at the hospital.

By this point it would just be pathetically rhetorical to say how much she still hated Andrew and the mayor.

"You doing alright back there baby?" Asked Thrax loudly as he turned down another street, not feeling the slightest bit guilty for breaking nearly every trafficking law there was as he weaved in and out of the late night circulatory traffic.

"Yeah! Why do you ask?!" Rachel shouted back, her ability to speak impeded by the wind that ripped past her ears and brought watery tears to her now stinging eyes. Thrax commanded the racer into the next lane with a balanced lean to the right, the sudden change of position causing the slightly terrified doctor who greatly preferred walking at the moment to tighten her grip on the virus's waist.

"No reason, I was just afraid that you wouldn't be able to handle my ride" He chuckled out. Though he could not see it, he bet that Rachel was now rolling her eyes, it having been a while since he had last managed to get that annoyed twitch he prized so much.

"Red, anything you can dish out, I can take" She mumbled to herself, not aware that the virus had heard her halfhearted attempt at trying to distract herself from the fact that she was riding one of the most accident prone vehicles of all time. She may deal with the dead, argue with killers, and involve herself in dangerous crimes, but a thrill seeker she was not; especially when that thrill seeking involved racing along a very busy high way at 130 with no helmet and the only thing to hold onto is a virus whose mind was dirtier than a street gutter. Thankfully for her, Thrax did not take up the challenge she gave him, and just continued to concentrate on the road, even though the way she clung to him tightly was rather pleasantly distracting.

Eventually they had reached their destination, the tunnel before the right atrium of the heart. Though normally a cell scene, during the few times the multitudes of bacteria and germs came out to race whenever Frank had heartburning inducing tacos, it was a virus's dream come true. F.P.D. was there for sure, but mostly to make sure that the multitudes of germs didn't cause Frank any trouble, but out manned to do anything else but protect their own. Fortunately for Thrax and Ray though, Dr. Abby had some of her S.F.F.F. members infiltrate the force a couple nights ago, and managed to get them assigned heart patrol tonight, so if anything went terribly wrong they would be there for them.

That fact comforted Ray somewhat as Thrax slowed the death machine down as he searched around for something specific in the throng of viruses and their prospective racing motorcycles. She quickly lost count of how many different types of germs and other such similar scum she caught sight of in the closed off high way section before the tunnel they lined themselves up on. Save for the few times she went to a viral club, this was the largest gathering of viruses she had ever seen, and to be honest, it was a bit intimidating to see firsthand just how infected Frank was.

Ray was pulled from her thoughts as it came to her attention that the motorcycle she was on had stopped, and Thrax was clapping his pronged foot down on the bike's stand.

"Well, we're here, you can let go now" Said Thrax after parking what he thought was the perfect spot to show off his racer, purposely adding a bit of pained regret to his tone.

"Thank goodness" She breathed out as she let go of the virus' surprisingly thin waist to hop off the dreaded vehicle, almost tripping over her own feet in the process. Damn heels, this was why she preferred sneakers, and pants she could bend in, and a shirt that wasn't a black corset with adjustable buckles. Who picked this outfit for her anyway?

"Baby, you are looking fine tonight" Richly purred Thrax slowly as he too got off his racer, his yellow eyes flashing devilishly from behind dark sunglasses as he admired Ray's new look. Oh yeah, the perverted virus picked her undercover costume. Supposedly, since he was the expert when it came to the viral scene, Dr. Abby had no choice but to buy the attire Thrax thought was appropriate for the both of them, and Rachel had no choice but to wear it. And to top it all off, he was in charge this time around.

"Get stuffed Red" She threw back, having now recovered enough from their unpleasantly adrenaline inducing trip over here. Thrax chuckled as he let a toothy grin emerge on his face.

"Ah-ah baby, you better play nice. It's my turn to give the orders" He tut-tutted with a disapproving shake of his claw as he leaned back against his most prized possession, second only to his chain "Now get over here…"

"Why?" Rachel questioned back as she flipped back a few dreads of her high pony tail wig that had fallen across her face.

"You're supposed to be my girl aren't you? Well, unless you want some other virus thinking you're available for the taking, get on over here" Spoke Thrax with a patient tone almost unbecoming of him save for the bit of wicked mischievousness that lay underneath it. Ray sighed, this was gonna hurt her, or him, a lot.

"Fine. But try anything funny and I will stab your face" She bluntly threatened, reminding Thrax that she did have her hunting knife on her, though where she hid it in the tight folds of the outfit he chose, he had no idea. Leaning up alongside the motorcycle beside the virus, Ray tried to think on anything but the fact that Thrax had draped his clawed arm on her bare shoulders as a display to all that she was, in his own words, his girl.

Together like that, they did very much look like many of the other viral couples that lined themselves up to show off their rides before the race began. With the Ring Master still on the loose and looking for a purple virus named Reed, Thrax this time was allowed out with his natural red skin. With a black bandana cover his purple dreads, a ripped shirt covered by a waist long leather jacket finished with a pair of his regular black pants and boots; he looked like any other punk virus wanting to make it big in the body of Frank, much to his own dissatisfaction.

"Look friendly baby, we got company coming" Whispered Thrax as he spotted a gang of viruses walking straight over to them. Following his gaze, Ray watched the group of five stereotypically looking mean bikers come closer, mentally preparing herself to act like she had lost 100 I.Q. points.

"Nice ride. Where'd you lift it from? The pits?" Asked the deep green virus who looked to be the leader the smirking gang, his low voice matching his gigantic form perfectly.

"No, made it myself, why? You looking to trade that tinker toy you call a ride for something better?" Thrax threw back in just as mocking a tone as the other virus had spoken in, lowering his shades to glare out with his yellow eyes. As much as his statement was meant to taunt the other virus, Thrax knew what he said was true about his racer compared to the one he saw the green germ walk away from before he came over. His prized racer had a slender yet low set body, painted black with streaks of red of course. Adding a bit of his own mechanical genius to the once rusted engine, Thrax had managed to turn what once was an antique pile of junk into a slick racer that any virus worth his infection would be jealous of, and this green germ knew it.

"This thing is the tinker toy" The green virus spit back, not willing to admit the truth. Upon spotting Ray as Thrax's side though, the gang leader grinned "I only came over to give the lady a chance to see a real hog. Whatdya say sweet heart? Wanna go for a ride with a real virus?"

Thrax felt the woman under his arm tense up with righteous fury, imagining it took just as much will power for her to resist not lashing out at the green gang leader as it took for him not to laugh at the adorable way her lips turned up in a disgusted glower.

"A real virus, huh? The only real virus I see here is my man Red here, the rest of you aren't worth the gene codes your made of" Spoke Ray in what she appropriately called the 'dumb broad' accent, thankful that no one save Thrax was here to witness her stoop so low on the intelligence scale. Thrax however was greatly enjoying not only the hurt pride of the gang leader, but also the good doctor complimenting him in her own roundabout way, knowing that it was probably killing her to do so.

"Whatever," The insulted virus finally spoke, his grin sliding down into a scowl "Since your obviously new here, and have yet to learn who you should respect, we wanted to give you the welcome speech" Thrax turned his smirk away from the still glowering woman by his side to look towards the green virus who tried to compose his posture to a more intimidating stance, failing miserably.

"First off, if you wanna race, you got to place down some money on yourself, at least five hundred bucks. And then, if you actually want to get back your money, plus some, you got to place at least fifth in the race" The green germ spoke what must have been the longest speech he was capable of, Thrax pretending not to be really listening to him as he teasingly played with the dreads of Ray's fake wig with a clawed hand.

"Mmh, got it baby," Said Thrax after letting the gang leader shimmer for a moment, having trouble containing himself when he saw Ray perk up at the sound of her pet name only to find out that he was speaking to the germ "Now, where do I go to place my mone-"

"Not so fast bub," Interrupted the green virus "Before you go off, why don't you and I make a little side bet? Like say I bet that you don't even make it in to the tenth ranking…" Thrax's face split with a confident smirk.

"Now that sounds like a challenge I would greatly enjoy winning. How much we talkin'?"

"How about a thousand?" Thrax looked down at the woman still trapped under his arm, a questioning look on his face. After thinking for a moment, Ray nodded to him, knowing that they only needed to stay for the one race and the money Andrew gave them would be plenty to cover both the racing fee and this side bet.

"Done" The green germ returned the smirk Thrax was giving him. Taking out a large wad of cash from his coat pocket, he motioned one of his silent flunkies over.

"Gordon here will escort your little lady to where the bets and fees are paid" With a short glance at Thrax, Ray slinked out from under his arm, grateful to have a break from him, but concerned for her wellbeing as the germ called Gordon dove right into the crowd of violent looking spectators.

Thrax watched her retreating form as long as he could, pretending to listen to the virus who was an insignificant itch compared to him. Soon enough though, Ray was too far gone of the red virus's view as she was practically swallowed by the viral crowd that chatted and cussed for all they were worth.

Following the yellow-blue form of Gordon as closely as she dared, Ray eventually saw the make shift betting stale that had been set up. The throng giving way to a surprisingly organized line, Ray waited in tense silence before finally it was her turn.

"Alright toots, place down your racer's name, his racing fee, and your bets" Obeying the gruff voiced woman, Rachel went through all the methodical procedure the viruses had come up with for this illegal activity, seeing the silent Gordon place down the money for the side bet beside her own before leaving. Trusting fellow for a law breaker.

Before turning to leave however, a strange feeling gripped Ray's gut, commanding her to take out her own slim wallet she had managed to somehow keep in her pants pocket, taking out a couple of hundreds.

"And I would like to place an additional three on my racer to win, for me" She spoke as quietly as she could; knowing that her irrational fear that Thrax might hear her was, well, irrational, but couldn't help it.

"Sure thing toots, but you're wasting you money what with him at twenty to one odds" Said the viral woman as she took the money anyway.

"Well, that's your opinion" Said Ray as she started to walk away from the booth, elbowing her way through the crowd as the virus's heard the last call for bets being shouted. Seems like that race was about to begin any moment now thought Rachel as she saw the dozens of racers start to line themselves up in the middle of the street, the few onlookers that were wandering about finally parting for the sides. Seeing a particular red and black bike of interest line up alongside what it's owner had referred to as a tinker toy, Ray started to make her way over, but stopping when something caught her eye.

"Alright Red, fee's paid, bet placed. Looks like you're ready to go" She said as she stepped up to the side of racer, Thrax already sitting on top of it, relaxed as can be. Ray had to hand it to him, his ability to stay calm at times in which many others would, or more frankly, should, be concerned for themselves was something of an admirable trait of his. Meeting his sunglass blocked gaze with a half smirk, she tossed him something.

"Well now baby, what's this?"

"A helmet, to keep what little brain matter you have inside your head" She retorted as she came closer, having to crane her neck back a little to keep meeting Thrax's stare. The virus looked over the fiery colored racing helmet the sapphire woman tossed him, something of a grin on his face.

"Where'd you get it?"

"I, um, borrowed it" She replied with some hesitation, looking away to avoid the piercing glare of the virus whose eyes still seem to penetrate into hers as he removed his shades. The small, somewhat grateful grin of Thrax faded into a roguish smirk and an amused chuckle.

"Seems like I'm having a bad influence on you baby"

"You wish Red" Before Thrax could comment on what exactly he wished from the woman who was leaning against the side of his racer so casually, a booming voice spoke out over the throng of the finest of Frank's scum.

"Ladies and gentlegerms, clear the road for the racers, the race is about to begin in one minute!" At the loud announcement made over a speaker phone, the highway cleared out until there was only a couple wandering viruses left among the ready and waiting racers. Noticing that the few left out in the street like she was were females wishing their racers good luck with some disturbingly passionate kisses, Ray purposefully avoided looking at Thrax, slowing setting herself back on her heels to leave.

"Oh, come on baby, don't I deserve a kiss from my lady fair?" Rachel whipped her head around to look at Thrax in slack jawed disbelief, catching his leering smirk before he slipped on the tinted helmet.

"Only in your wildest fantasies Red. And call 'my lady' one more time and I will slap you so hard you won't be able to smirk for a week" She threw back, though not a bitingly dismissive as usual. She was becoming too used to his flirts to really be taken by surprise anymore, to her mixed joy and odd disappointment.

"Ah, see, why does a virus like me need some love when I can have bitter sarcasm instead?" Said Thrax, causing Ray to let loose a small smirk as she started off towards the already cheering crowd of viruses. Soon enough, she was once more swallowed by the throng, having some difficulty keeping her eyes on a certain virus and his red machine.

"Alright germs and gals, the moment you all have been waiting for! Why don't ya'll help me count down?" Announced a germ over the set up speakers, causing the crowd to cheer louder. Elbows grinding into her side and feet stepping onto her heels, Ray growled as she tried her best to watch as Thrax and the other racers started their engines with roaring revs.

"Three!" Cheered the crowd along with the announcer. Ray saw Thrax crack his knuckles, his shoulders rolling back in preparation for what was to ensue.

"Two!" With a careless glance blocked by the tinted helmet, Thrax met the burning gaze of the green germ from before that was now lined up next to him, the both of them revving their engines in ritualistic intimidation.

"One!" His face turning back to concentrate the race way, Ray watched the red virus lean down into his precious machine, and felt the gripping feeling from before return with a passion. Before she knew it, the words slipped out, embarrassed regret instantly coating her tongue.

"Good luck…Red"

"GO!"

Immediately the sound of wheels screeching against roadway echoed throughout the body, motorcycles launching themselves towards the darkened tunnel as if shot out of hell itself. Ray resisted the urge she had to cover her ears as she watched intently as Thrax and company disappeared almost instantly out of sight, the crowd around her now in a frantic frenzy of cheering. Soon enough though, their shouts died down, the only exciting thing left to them being the rapidly becoming distant sounds of revved engines.

Knowing that there was nothing to watch until the racers returned, which would take a while considering they need to make a loop at the right hand, Rachel decided to get going on the main reason she was in this situation. With sharply clicking heels and calculative eyes, the disguised doctor made her way through the now calm and slightly thinned crowd.

"Have you heard about the bacteria gain lost some men a while back to a fungus?"

"Hey, Todd, the mucus germ, is looking for some guys who want in on a robbery he's planning"

"No way, I thought she went to jail? Well, if she's back, then we can expect a good time…"

Rumors and gossip abounded around Rachel, her thankfully expansive memory cementing everything in her mind. As much as she wished to concentrate on the whispers she picked up and the direction her feet where wandering towards, thoughts arose in her mind, forcing her to acknowledge them in full.

Though Thrax hadn't taken their game down a level, but also didn't improve it as she had thought back when she was literally exploded out of a building in a blazing inferno, Ray did feel something different between them. The disturbing thing though, was it was at her end. Sure, she still disliked whenever he did throw a shameless statement her way, and took every opportunity to one-up him in their conversations that now ranged from their sparring techniques to the viral infections they had come across. But tonight wasn't the only time she felt the strange feeling force her to do something she would normally never consider.

After she had calmed down some from the abnormal occurrence she had with Thrax while pinned underneath him, that she now blamed their obviously disorientated minds, Rachel remembered something. He had saved her. Thrax grabbed her and enveloped her in his arms when the fire of the explosion reached them, no doubt sparring her from burns that would have taken weeks to heal. Not only that, but he had saved both Zane and Gypsy. Thrax purposely put himself in danger to save both her and a couple of animals he had continuously referred to as annoying mutts.

Why?

Rachel loved answers, and she was willing to do almost anything to get them. But the possible answers to this question seemed to be forbidden to even be thought about, much less asked out loud. In the weeks that passed, Rachel ignored her curiosity that made it almost unbearable to not pose the question to Thrax, but there was something else worming in her mind.

Gratefulness. Even without knowing his motives, Rachel could not help but feel earnest appreciation that demanded more than just her having whispered a thank you back during said rescuing. She had tried several times to repay him by telling Jones to let up whenever he started arguing with the virus, or letting him win a argument every once in a while, but it wasn't enough for what he had done. As is that wasn't disturbing enough to deal with, Ray was suspecting that this persistent gratefulness was in turn, changing into something she felt almost sickened to admit.

Caring. She was starting to care for Thrax. And the mere thought left a bad taste on her tongue.

Knowing that there was no way that she was going to be able to concentrate on listening into the conversations that fluttered about her now, Rachel leaned against the wall that bordered the highway, looking down over the bustle of life happening below the suspended roadway as she let her mind think further on the thoughts she had pushed aside until now.

Yes, she was starting to care for Thrax, and it pained her greatly to admit it. It was the feeling that first sparked in her when she saw his marred skin back at the animal fights, the feeling that made her bet on him for this race with the hope that somehow that would ensure he would make it, the feeling that made her steal a helmet, the feeling that made her want to see Thrax return unharmed and successful.

She knew she only had herself to blame for this. Her participation in his game of comebacks, their conversations, their sparing sessions; she had let herself come to see Thrax as more than just a means to reach the end of the mayor's insane plan. As cold hearted as she pretended to be, she was only a cell. It was only natural to feel something positive towards the person you have shared some laughs with, spent time with; who saved what was more precious than your life. Even if said person was a murderous virus who would never be able return such trivial feelings.

With a sigh laden with shame for letting this happen, Ray messaged the temples of her head as she once more pushed the disturbing feelings back into the corners of her mind. In an attempt to concentrate on anything save her own thoughts, she studied the activities going on below the suspended highway. Picking out a small crowd of well-dressed figures, her red clouded eyes intently observed the group of obvious germs below her. Brows twisted in confusion as Rachel felt an odd sense of recognition for one of the men, her medical skills identifying him as a measles virus.

Clarity to the virus' identity nearly made Rachel duck down out of view; only able to keep herself from doing so with the chiding thought that there was no way he could see her. There, below her in a group of germs and viruses that she now also recognized as some of the more powerful and wanted infections in Frank, was the Ring Master. Her eyes trailed the group intently as they continued to walk towards a rundown looking building, soon to disappear into it. Eventually, a couple of men came back outside the building, coming to position themselves in front of the door to guard it.

"Well now, that seems a mighty bit suspicious" Ray mumbled amusedly to herself, grinning in her success in having come across such an unexpected jackpot of what assuredly would be some juicy tid bit of information. About to look for a way to possibly get closer, the sound of engines roared in the distance. With one more glance at the germs infested building below, Rachel turned away to make her way back to the finish line, knowing that if she was going to unfortunately need the red virus who was no doubt speeding his way back right now.

Thrax hadn't felt this much raw excitement since he had last killed, this much adrenaline pump through his infected veins since he last took down a human. He had forgotten what it was like to compete in a race, it having been years since he last done so to get a bit of cash, but he liked the exhilaration that rushed through him. He had no shame in admitting he loved the thrill of wind ripping past his ears as he raced faster and faster, sharp spikes of elation coursing through him every time he risked a sharp turn or chancy acceleration of speed. With a skilled lean to the left, he passed by another rider, placing himself into third place.

Adding more pressure to the acceleration, Thrax commanded his exceptional machine into second place with ease, the road way rushing underneath him in a blur. With only one more curve of the road way left ahead of them before the finishing line would be insight, the red virus couldn't help the confident smirk that grew as he pushed ahead, closing the distance between him and the last racer.

Upon coming up alongside the right of poor sucker who no doubt thought he had this race in the bag, Thrax's smirk widened as he noticed it was the green germ that had approached him before. Having lost sight of the cocky germ long ago at the start of the race, Thrax had thought he had left him in the dust, but this scenario was far more satisfying.

With a teasing wave of his fore claw, Thrax brushed past the germ like a gust of darkly colored wind, chuckling with confidence. Rounding the final turn, the spray painted finish line coming into his view, Thrax commanded his racer to go even faster, the needle reading his speed straining to relay his true acceleration.

Seconds passed, and the finish line was laying mere feet in front of Thrax, and soon enough disappeared behind him. He had won. Out of the dozens of germs that had competed, he had beaten them all to the finish line with ease. Like he doubted that wouldn't occur for a split second.

Hearing the viral crowd that had lined themselves back up along the high way once more, Thrax cautiously slowed down his racer, knowing full well where the real danger in handling a motorcycle was. Soon enough though, he had come to a comfortably controlled stop, removing his helmet in time to see his newly gained fans gather around him.

"Congrats Red. Looks like you won" Spoke a familiar voice out form the shouts of cheers and boos. Seeing Rachel slide up right next to Thrax's right something of a disgruntled glare for the crowd she had just pushed her way through and true gratification for seeing him win.

"Looks that way don't it baby? How about you and I go someplace with lots of alcohol and a comfy mattress to celebrate?" Asked Thrax as he stepped of his racer, the once exuberant crowd of germs trickling away to protect their winnings. Rachel rolled her eyes, letting a playfully disapproving smirk grow on her lips.

"Stop it Red, you're making me blush"

"That's the point baby, you always look so deliciously coy whenever you do" He returned with his own growing smirk as he came to stand beside her. Though she scoffed and rolled her eyes again, Rachel had to admit she was slightly impressed with his comeback, thinking him unable to use such a colorful turn of phrase. Not wanting to continue this round of their game though, Rachel's shamefully sighing of relief for seeing Thrax return and teasing smirk fell into semi-serious expression.

"While you were gone, I noticed our old friend the Ring Master and a couple of other wanted baddies hook up for what suspiciously looks like a gang leader meeting. What do you say we, go listen in?" Thrax's smirk fell for a moment as he mauled over the information the sapphire woman before him had just relayed, his excitement over his victory calming down as his cautiously calculative tendency came back. Soon enough though, Thrax grinned.

"Sounds good, but I still prefer my method of celebrating, and I'm sure you would too if you gave in to my many charms…"

o0o

It took them a couple of minutes to find a safe enough place to stash Thrax's ride, and then a couple more to find a way down the building, but soon enough Ray and Thrax had made it to the place she had seen some of Frank's most wanted slink into. Easily avoiding the watchful gazes of the germs guarding what appeared to be the only entrance thanks to the many piles of crates that bordered the building, the two made their way around, trying to find some way to find out what was going on inside.

"There. That window" Rachel whispered as she pointed up to a slimly stretched out window high above them. Looking up to glance at the window that only just a bit of dim light could be seen coming out of, Thrax was just about to convey the quick plan he had for reaching it, when he noticed Ray wasn't beside him anymore.

"Baby, just what do you think you're doing?"

"Getting a better view. What's it look like Red?" Ray retorted as she continued to climb up the thinly stacked boxes towards the slim window. It was by no means an easy task thanks to her heels and tight jeans, but she knew that she would be the only one who could make the climb, Thrax far too heavy for the crates that were groaning out against her weight. With caution, Rachel soon made it to the top of the convenient pile, able to finally peer through the window.

As she suspected, it was a meeting of gang leaders, germs and bacteria whose wanted posters she had seen many times in F.P.D., scattered around a large table. Seems like the Ring Master was the one who called them all together, his short stature pacing to and fro as he spoke, his words muffled to Ray by the glass window between them.

"Hey, ya think you can open the window?" Asked the virus she left behind by a good fifteen feet. Glancing down, Ray nodded.

"Good baby. Here, take this" With that, Rachel saw something small and rectangular shape come flying up towards her. Scrambling to catch what Thrax had tossed her way; Ray nearly lost her balance, but managed to catch it without falling. A small digital voice recorder glistened out in her hand.

"I lifted it off of Jones before heading out here. Thought it might come in handy" Thrax offered as the only explanation for how he came across the assuredly expensive device. Ray felt a grin develop on her face at her little surprise at just how clever and useful the virus could be, but pushed that small esteem aside as she focused on opening the window.

"That settles most of our business gentlegerms and ladies. Now on to the most pressing matter" Spoke the Ring Master as he continued to pace, Rachel carefully pressing the button to start recording, hoping that the small machine was capturing every word.

"As you know, we are no longer the most powerful scum living here in Frank. After that unpleasant business with that Thrax character who nearly killed us all, it appears a new comer has arrived on the scene. I am of course, talking about Big E" Rachel pressed herself as close to the now open window as she dared, thinking over just why that name sounded so familiar as she watched one of the seated germs stand up.

"Yeah, and a pesky bastard he is at that! Did ya know he tried to get me to hand over some of my men as a form of some kind of protection payment?! And I know I am not the only one here he's tried to pull that off on!" Angry shouts of agreement arose at the words of the recognizable leader of the BT gang, causing the Ring Master to slow in his pacing.

"Gentlegerms, please. I have called you all here to let one of Big E's representatives speak on his behalf, and hopefully we can then come to some sort of agreement that all will be satisfied with" As if on cue, a shadowed figure stepped closer to the table the leaders where gathered, the newcomer's form unrecognizable to Ray thanks to the dim lighting.

"I know you don't like my boss's methods, but I am sure that you all value your necks, correct?" Spoke the stranger in a sickly screeching voice. Ray felt like cursing out loud at the sound of the voice, knowing that she had heard it somewhere before, but unable to fully recall it.

"Is this what you call coming to an agreement? You better explain yourself, you flakey son of a bitch, before I wring that skinny neck of yours" Spoke the Bacterial leader, voicing his annoyance once more. The shadowed figure chuckled darkly, gesturing with a flourish of his hand that Ray managed to observe was pasty pale.

"I would like to see you try, you who are only a fly compared to Mr. E. But how about we try to reach a decision that doesn't end in your bodies emptied of all your…_tasty_ insides" A visible shudder went through the gathered germs, Ray sharing a similar sensation as well at the cackle that followed the mysterious figure's threat. Wanting to look away for a moment to recollect herself, Rachel glanced down towards where Thrax was waiting. She felt her eye twitch in annoyance at finding that Thrax was looking up at her from his relaxed position leaned up against the wall, his yellow eyes trained on her posterior.

"If you don't want to find yourself lacking a pair of eyeballs in a few seconds Red, I suggest you stop staring" Rachel growled out in a low whisper she knew he would hear without risk of the germs inside detecting her. Thrax looked up to meet her furious gaze, his pleasantly contented expression turning up into an obvious leer.

"Can't help it baby, you just look so fine from this angle" Teasingly replied Thrax with a chuckle and a shrug of his pointed shoulders "That, and I don't want you to fall and hurt your pretty head. I care too much for that to happen"

Rachel nearly lost her balance as a sickening spike of shock went through her, panic seeping onto her face as she felt her mouth dry up.

"You, you care for me?" She asked, not noticing that her voice quivered slightly with a surprised stutter as she tried her best to not let certain thoughts worm their way back into her mind. Thrax shrugged his shoulders again as he picked lint off his jacket, seemingly having missed her panicked expression.

"Hm, let me put it this way baby, if I got the chance to take down this body again, I would make sure to kill you last" He said just as teasingly as before. Rachel barely contained the sigh of relief she let out at hearing Thrax's smirking comeback, daring not to think on just why his statement had enlisted such a response from her.

"Gee, I feel so loved. And here I thought what we had was something special Red" She tossed back once she composed herself, her voice coated in a teasing tone similar to Thrax's.

"Say the word and it could be baby…" Thrax purred back up at her, a smirk growing as he saw a flinch of annoyance pass through Ray's face before she returned her attention back onto the gang meeting inside.

"Well, now that you understand Mr. E's intentions, I hope that you pretty, little flies will come to appreciate just how generous my boss can be to those who are insignificant insects compared to him" Spoke the shadowed figure.

"Yes, well, thank you. I believe that will be all for now though. This meeting is at an end" Announced the Ring Master before any of the other germs and bacteria could relay exactly what they thought about the mystery man's boss. With grumbling growls and scowls, the leaders stood up from their positions around the table, some starting up conversations with the men next to them while others made towards the door.

From his position below her, Thrax could hear the sound of chairs scrapping back coming from the window, taking a guess that the meeting was ending. About to tell Ray to get her attractive backside back down, the sound of approaching footsteps started up behind him.

His face steeling itself in cautious determination, Thrax slide his way down the long wall of the building, coming to a stop at the corner. Peering around the side as much as he dared, he was greeted with the sight of several viral bosses making their way out of the building, but that wasn't what grabbed his attention. The green germ he had beaten in the race was making his way over to the building with his flunkies, making straight for where he was looking out from. They knew he was here. Quickly, Thrax ran his way back over to Rachel, who was just starting to make her way back down the tower of crates.

"No time baby, we got company coming. Jump" Whispered Thrax hurriedly, causing Ray to look down at him in troubled surprise. Astonishingly, she didn't question him, and let herself fall into the awaiting arms of the red virus, her light weight unable to strain Thrax's strength in the slightest. About to run in the opposite direction of the approaching germs, a voice called out.

"We know you're down here Red. We got something for you" Called out the gruffly toned germ, who was about to round the corner any second now by the sound of his voice. Looking everywhere as his mind raced faster than his motorcycle ever could, Thrax knew that there was nowhere to hide and nothing he could do to throw off their suspicions that would surely arise at finding them here. Except…

Glancing down at the woman in his arms who was watching the building edge with concentrated nervousness, Thrax thought up a plan that just might work. Her obsidian eyes flickering up to meet his intensely glowing gaze, the red virus surprised Ray with a small, almost apologetic smirk. Before she had time to question what his expression meant, Rachel felt herself being lifted into the air.

…No.

This couldn't be happening, thought Rachel, this can't be real. But the chilling feeling of her back pressed against the cold brick side of the building begged to differ. As did the oppressing warmth of Thrax's body that pinned her to it. Her legs limply wrapped around his waist, Thrax kept her propped up there with a hand tucked underneath her backside as his other gripped the wall above her head, his face buried in the crook of her neck, his lips pressing firm kisses on whatever exposed flesh he could find. This couldn't be happening, this can't be real.

"T-Thrax? What are you d-doing?" Rachel finally managed to gasp out in utter shock. Her out of breath words stopped the virus in his actions for a moment, and she could feel his lips pull into a smirk against her skin.

She said his name. In her state of complete shock and embarrassment, she had called out _his_ name.

"We need to make it appear that we're not doing worthy of suspicion, otherwise they'll try to give us trouble. And we don't want any of that with the gang leaders still hanging around" He explained to her in a low whisper, his smirk growing wider as he noticed her tremble ever so slightly at the sensation of his warm breath brushing over her neck.

Rachel couldn't find the resolve to look at Thrax in the brief moment he had lifted his head to tell her his reasons for why he was doing this to her, her words stolen by a disturbingly familiar sensation ripping through her. A hot, needle sharp tremor crawled up and down her spine as Thrax returned to roughly caressing her neck and shoulder with his lips, she helpless against both in her shock. Somewhere in her hazily, distraught mind she noticed the green germ and his gang finally round the corner, making start towards them, but couldn't find the resolve to be nervous.

"Rachel," She felt more than heard his chest rumble out the whispering of her name "You need to play along or else they ain't gonna buy it"

Hearing him call her by her name for the first time ever somehow snapped Ray back into her sense, coming to understand how disturbingly right the virus was. With her mind settling itself into desperate resolve, Rachel commanded her limp arms to grip at Thrax's pointed shoulders, her legs tightening themselves around his waist as well to better balance herself.

As she felt him once more smirk against her skin, Rachel began to honestly doubt that this was the best plan he could come up with. But seeing as she was literally in no position to argue, she would just have to let it slide for now. He better not leave any marks though.

"Ohhhhhaaaahhhhhngggnnnhhhhhh h…" Loudly groaned Ray as she closed her eyes in feign ecstasy, knowing that she was over doing it just a tad. She wasn't an actress, so it was either over the top or not at all with her, but the gang of germs that now stopped themselves in their tracks upon hearing her moan seemed to buy it.

"Yo, uh, Red?" Called out the green germ from before, his voice almost timid sounding as his eyes nearly bugged out at the rather steamy sight before him. Rachel could hear Thrax let out a low growl of disapproval from his position underneath her jaw, feeling his head turn to slowly face the man who stopped what he had better be only pretending was a pleasurable moment.

"What? Can't you see I'm busy?" Thrax snarled out, finding it very easy to lay a coat of pretend annoyance over being interrupted. The germ glowered back in aggravation, but his expression hardened itself into proud resolve.

"Gordon, hand over the money" So named hulking flunky stepped forward, a large wad of cash in his hand that he had just collected for his leader. Thrax felt his eyebrows lift up in amused confusion. Looks like this germ was a disease of his word when it came to his bets, how utterly humiliating for him. Stepping as close as he dared so Rachel could grab the roll of money before stuffing it down her corset, Gordon returned to his leader who looked about ready to dash away so as to nurse his pride.

"You won fair and square this time Red. But next time we meet, there won't be anything fair about it" Said the green germ with a sneer. Thrax, who was just about to return his attention back onto Rachel, was going to answer him back, when she beat him to the punch.

"Red can take you on anytime, anywhere" Ray spoke out in her annoyance of still being in this incredibly uncomfortable position, the gang's presence only prolonging it "But if that's all, would ya mind leaving? Me and my man where just starting to, Ahh!...uh, um, e-enjoy ourselves…" Her voice, that had rung out so confident even with the stupid accent she added to it trailed off into a mortified whisper when the sensation of Thrax roughly nipping her neck produced a not-so-fake moan from her. For someone who was supposedly only pretending to enjoy this situation they were in, he was chillingly good at it.

The germs though followed her advice, and soon disappeared around the corner they had just come from. Picking up his head so as to watch their retreating forms with an intent gaze, Thrax mentally prepared himself for the hell storm that was no doubt going to ensue the moment he looked back at the woman he held, as well as reign in the yearnings that had naturally arisen due to his actions.

Slowly turning back his gaze to Rachel, Thrax felt the clawed hand he had placed up against the wall clench involuntarily against the bricks tightly in reaction to the sight before him. Her surprisingly sensitive skin was already marked with his few, but obviously rough touches, her sapphire cheeks colored with mortified embarrassment, chest rising in shaken, angered pants. Just before he could even think on the debate to either let go of her or to continue in what he so irrepressibly wanted to, Rachel spoke.

"Put me down. Now" She said, her voice shockingly calm and collected. Knowing her well enough to detect the hint of pure rage that lay just beneath her words, Thrax did as she asked, gently setting her back down on her own feet. Rachel felt her panted breathing compose itself as she forced herself to look up at the virus, straightening her attire as she did so.

"We will collect the winnings you made from the race. Then we will go back to the hospital, where we will report to Jones and Drix what we had managed to dig up. And, we shall never, _never_, speak of this moment" Thrax tactfully kept the smirk he so desperately wanted to express down, deciding to only nod in agreement with Rachel's stern commands.

Thinking her point made, Ray turned away to start the long journey back to the betting booth, pushing aside the fresh memories of Thrax's administrations upon her neck and shoulders to the unvisited part of her mind, along with the irate feelings he had stirred.

o0o

The ride back to the hospital was more than awkward for Rachel, it was torturous. Though she was more than willing to push aside the moment, her mind had other plans as she clung as loosely as she dared to Thrax as he raced his way down the streets.

He was only pretending to enjoy it. He didn't really want to do that to her. It was merely to throw off the germs so they wouldn't get stuck into yet another dangerous situation. That was it, there was nothing more.

Ignore the thoughts of what assuredly was still care for the virus even after what he did, push aside the feeling of how warm his back was, cast out the sensation of the wind brushing harshly against the tender marks he left on her skin. Like a mantra, Rachel repeated the banishing of thoughts over and over again, desperately hoping that they would work. Eventually, thankfully, they finally arrived back at the hospital, Thrax pulling right into the open doorway of the garage.

In continuation of the silence that had been between them since he had let her go, Thrax clamped his foot down on the metal stand as he shut off the engine, waiting for Rachel to first get off. When she managed to dismount, he too stepped off, removing the sunglasses that shaded his eyes.

Thrax was never one to let other's uneasiness have any effect on him, but standing there, in the bright light of the garage as Rachel stared at anything but him, he did wish this silent moment would pass by, wanting to get onto more, desirable, matters. With a shake of his head accompanied by a roll of his eyes, Thrax broke the stillness.

"Look, baby, about what happened. If you-"

"Forget it" Interrupted Rachel as she looked straight into the yellow eyes of Thrax. She needed to push all the thoughts out, and to do that, she needed him to as well. She wanted to forget, and so she needed him to.

"We did what we had to in order to avoid trouble, so forget it" She continued as she felt herself finally start to relax for the first time since said needed to be forgotten moment. Rachel let out a hallow laugh as she shrugged her shoulders, an awkward grin spreading across her face.

"Besides, I think sometimes it is better to ask for forgiveness than beg for permission. And, your plan did save our necks, so it's not like I'm angry or ungrateful or anything" Thrax's eyebrows lifted in questioning surprise at her statement. Was she really so dismissive of their little encounter? Was she really so misinformed to think that this was where the shared moment ended? Oh, how delectably wrong she was.

Rachel, with another strained grin, started to make her way past the oddly silent virus, heading straight for the closed door. She would just take a long, hot shower and then maybe watch a horror movie with Zane in her room. Yeah, that would help her relax, help her-

Something grabbed her wrist.

Turning to follow up the red claw that had stopped her in her tracks at its firm grip with her eyes, Rachel felt her face fall into troubled disbelief as she meet the gaze of Thrax. His expression was unreadable, but something in the way his eyes pierced into hers so wantonly clued her into his intentions. Her eyes grew wide with despairing shock.

Before she could protest, Thrax pulled her to him, his hand letting go of her wrist to wrap around her waist as his other hand roughly pulled off her dread lock wig. Twisting his claws to gain a firm hold of her silver tresses that fell about, the virus pushed Rachel even closer to him, closing what little distance was left as he crashed his lips against hers.

Unlike before, the needle hot sensation that pricked through Rachel allowed her the strength let out cries of protest that Thrax's roughly pressing kiss muffled. Her hands fighting to push against him, she tried everything to free herself. Yes, everything. She was trying everything, that's why she closed her eyes, that's why she felt her hands quickly slowdown in their attempts to worm out of his grip, why she didn't bite him as he parted his lips to savor her. Yes, she was trying everything in her power to resist…

Thrax let out a quiet, pained growl as he commanded himself to pull away, but not without tasting her bottom lip one last time with a flick of his tongue. Loosening his grip so as to peer down at Rachel, Thrax felt a proud and pleased smirk break out on his face at the sight of her closed eyes and motionless hands that rested on his chest in a half-hearted attempt to push him away. Soon enough, the barely breathing woman opened her eyes, her expression riddled with confusion and unfathomable shock.

"Forgive me baby?" He whispered with eyes burning with unsatisfied desire, voice low with possession. Rachel started to feel her head shake with disbelief, her legs quivering as the gravity of just what exactly happened hit her in full force.

"W-what?" She stuttered, her voice reduced to a barely audible murmur. Thrax lowered back down towards her, only stopping to brush the side of his face against her cheek, relishing in the sensation of her soft skin against his own.

"Better to ask for forgiveness than beg for permission, right?" Feeling him finally release her from his grip, Rachel watched with wide eyes as Thrax slowly strode his way towards the door. Before he turned the handle though, he tossed back a teasing smirk at the woman who had yet found the ability to move.

"But then again, seeing as how you're gonna be wanting me as much as I want you soon enough, it would be kinda pointless for me to apologize" With that, Thrax opened the door, not turning back at the sound of Rachel finally finding her voice.

"You motherfucking, perverted son of a bitch! You ugly, infected bastard! You disgusting red pile of disease, I will rip your fucking lips off! Come back here, I'm not finished with yo-" The now shut door muffling the sounds of cruses and crashing objects the enraged woman was no doubt bombarding the exit with, Thrax continued walking down the hallway, letting out a low, satisfied hum as he straightened his jacket and dreads.

His games with her were at their end, he had made his decision.

She would be his.

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

MWAHahaHAhahahahahAHAHAAHA! Well, well, well, this seems like a fine place to end the chapter on! Hehe, I am evil. Anywho, let's get down to business.

Yup, it finally happened. Twelve chapters of cat and mouse games, shameless flirtation, and explosive situations have all been leading up to this panicle moment in Ray and Thrax's dysfunctional relationship. And just what will happen now that the virus has made it perfectly clear just how interested he is in the doctor? Well, not to spoil too much, but let's just say, its gonna get a lot more angsty and heated! ; D

And please, as always, I am worried that I'm not representing the characters properly, so tell me what you think!

Anyway, hopefully same time, defiantly same place. Till then…

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Keep up the heat…


	13. Chapter 13 What to do? Part 1:

Chapter 13; What to do? Part 1:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

Thank you all for all your lovely comments and favs, this story has turned out to be a far more popular success than I ever imagined (there's only about 170 stories for Osmosis Jones and it did come out over twelve years ago, shocking, I know). So thank you all for your support!

Last thing for this, I had the song **'Bad Things' by Jace Everett** playing in my head over and over again as I wrote this chapter, and trust me when I say, this song is scary good and just adds wonders to the mood of the chapter! So go ahead and give it a try, it's one wonderfully bad song you won't soon forget!

~o0o~  
_When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle_

She was avoiding him, apparently alarmed by what he did and wanted to do to her, and he knew it.

Hell, he enjoyed it.

Every time he would enter the room, she would leave, a scowl turning down her lips. She was never found alone, making certain to have Drix, Jones, or Zane around her at all times. She hated him for what he did, ceasing not only their sparing sessions, but all forms of communication that was just starting to take a hold between them. As much as this behavior would normally discourage others, Thrax found it beyond amusing because of one certain fact.

She had yet to tell. Drix and Jones were still blissfully ignorant of just how interested Thrax was in their friend. How willing he was to make that interest perfectly obvious to her with his lowered leers and piercing gazes. And yet she still hadn't told her friends what had occurred a week ago by the building the gang leaders met in, what happened back in the garage when she came out looking like she had just torn through hell.

And this brought a wider smirk to Thrax's face than the fresh memories of what he had gotten away with the doctor could produce. Though his, at first, merely harmless games with her were at their end, every moment with her was still a chase, a dangerous exchange of words and gazes that gave him a fervent excitement he had not felt from a woman, let alone anyone or thing besides his goals, for in the longest time.

What had started as an entertaining distraction had turned into a sweet obsession, one in which the only possible outcome could be him getting everything he wanted. He would find his chain, gain his freedom, and he would get _her_ want him as much as he wanted her.

"Yo, Thrax, doya always have to skulk in the dark? It's kinda creepy" Said Jones as he walked over to the second floor window Thrax was leaning against, his black eyes squinting to meet the annoyed scowl of the virus in the dimness the winter morning filtered in. The virus rolled his eyes as he tucked away his thoughts about certain entertaining aspects of his future.

"Helps me think. You should try it sometime Jones" Thrax replied back, his growling tone cluing the cop into the hidden insult underlying his words. With a roll of his eyes, Jones stepped up to lean against the other side of the tall window, watching the red virus who went back to looking out at the view. He had been strangely quiet lately, more ponderous, and Jones didn't like it. Whether he was just coming to finally becoming comfortable with living in a hospital full of law enforcers or was plotting something nasty, the immunity cell didn't know, and either way didn't care. Their deal was still on, and Jones would live up to his end of the barging when it came to allowing the virus one last chance to kill him, though the outcome of that would not be what Thrax was desiring.

"Listen, Andrew called with a case. Looks like some ritzy snob in the sternum kicked the bucket last night in a not to subtle way. Thing is, this guy is, was, filthy rich, and the mayor wants us to make sure he wasn't murdered by his own, cause if that is the case the government doesn't get a single cent" Jones spoke, noticing Thrax's eyes widen ever so slightly in interest.

"We're leaving for the rib cage now, and you're coming with. You and I got some words to share with Andrew about Freddy's escape from jail" Thrax let out a small smirk. That's right. After listening to the tape that Rachel had recorded of the gang leaders' meeting, the voice of the mysterious representative became apparent as she suddenly remembered his sickly screeching voice. Even though Jones called to satisfy his natural curiosity as to why a murderer he had thought locked up was out on the streets again, Andrew only told him that there was a blunder in the criminal's prison transfer, and the fungus escaped.

"Why not? It's not like I got anything better to do here" Shrugged Thrax, following Jones with a hidden smirk at the realization that since this case had a dead body, a certain doctor would be forced to tag along.

o0o

Why couldn't she say it? It was easy, the words formed in her mind so perfectly, her voice gapping to be let out to tell Jones and Drix what she wanted to.

'Thrax kissed me, can I kill him?'

'I think Thrax has a thing for me. A very dark, disturbing thing for me'

'Can I move out the hospital? I got a murderous and apparently unabashed sexual offender of a psychopath putting the moves on me'

But no, something kept stopping her; kept chocking her voice the instant it tried to form the words on the tip of her tongue. She would blame it on the presence of said debauched virus sitting across from her in the observation van they were taking to the sternum, but that wouldn't explain the countless other opportunities she had to tell her friends.

So why hasn't she yet? Dammit, why?

She wasn't scared of Thrax, much, and she wasn't embarrassed about what happened, much. So what was the problem? Like she had chanted so many times before in her head since the disturbing events had come to pass, Rachel pushed the thoughts aside with the shallow promise that she would address the matter later. For someone who had always prided herself in being unafraid to seek answers, this certainly seemed like the kind of behavior she often despised…

"Yo, Ray? You okay? You look a little icky" Observed Jones from his place on the seat across from her, leaning forward to peer at her slightly discolored face. Snapped out of her concentration to banish certain thoughts, Rachel snarled at Jones.

"I'm fine. Just a little sick of being trapped in a hospital with three idiots for company" She retorted, her voice harsher than she intended it to be thanks to a certain virus that always looked so calm and composed no matter what.

"Geez Ray, what's your problem? You've been a basket of raging bitchiness since that case last week. What's got you so worked up?" She couldn't help it; her eyes flickered up to meet the yellow gaze of Thrax that happened to turn towards her just in time. That smirk, she knew that smirk. That was the 'Go ahead, tell him' smirk he wore every time Jones or Drix asked what was making her crankier than usual. Well, far be it from her to give Thrax what he wanted.

"Nothing. Just stressed about work. The cases Andrew gives us are not the only ones I work on you know" She finally replied in a sour tone after turning her gaze back onto Jones, her arms and leg crossing in a subtle attempt to convey to Jones she really didn't feel like chatting. But as she found out in a second, her subtle hint wasn't blatantly obvious enough for the thick headed cop.

"Alright, whatever. Piece of advice though, I think you should just get laid or something, it would take the stress away just like that" Ray nearly choked on her own tongue, seeing a leering grin growing on Thrax's face out of the corner of her eyes.

"Jones, you just went to sensitivity training two months ago, did you not remember anything you learned there?" Said Drix to Jones in a chiding voice, taking pity on Rachel, whose sullen mood was evident to him. That said, as to the cause of her scowls, he was just as lost as Jones, but not so idiotic to try to find out.

"Of course I did! But this is Ray I'm talkin' to here! So, spill it girl. You got a man or something?" Jones pressed on, actually rather curious if Rachel did have a social life outside of Frank's Finest and Leah, having not ever really seen her hang out with anyone else.

"No" She replied, eyes firmly piercing into Jones' with annoyance, resisting the urge to scowl at a certain virus.

"Well, any prospects then?"

"No"

"Oh, come on Ray, you're can't be young and bitter forever! Don't you ever think about getting married and havin' kids?"

"No"

"Well, what if you met the right guy? Someone who adored you, worshiped you, would be your devoted slave?" Jones rambled on, thinking on all the things women typically liked to see in a man, which consisted mostly of groveling and unwavering devotion.

"I'd pity him" Rachel growled through clenched teeth, her expression beyond annoyed and reaching border line ignited fury. Thankfully, for Jones's sake more than anyone else's, the van stopped, and the sound of Dr. Abby slamming the car door arose. All straightened their coats or pushed up their glasses as the red blood cell slide open the side door.

"Alrighty ya'll! We're here! Hope the trip wasn't too unpleasant" Said Dr. Abby, knowing it couldn't have been too comfortable to be packed as they were in the new surveillance van the mayor had bought for the S.F.F.F.

"It was a living hell" Tartly replied Ray as she nearly jumped out of the vehicle, dragging her bag of tricks behind her "Tell me again why 'Andrew Ass-Face' wanted us to take this death trap down here?"

"Because I wanted a place to sit unobserved while I talked with Jones and Thrax while you do your job. Hope that explanation was satisfactory enough, Rachel" Spoke a certain grey colored brain cell who not only had the uncanny ability to come right the hell out of nowhere, but also brush off such insults from Rachel as if they were merely little pieces of lint on his pin striped suit.

"Nothing you ever do or did was satisfactory Andrew" Ray replied without missing a beat as she stormed her way past the him, not waiting or caring if Jones or Drix, or anybody really, were following after her. She just wanted to get working, get her mind focused on spilled guts or bullet casings, or, she didn't care, just something other than what was already in her head.

The gigantic blue grass knoll that separated the mansion of a home took Rachel a while to cross thanks to her heavy bag, but she eventually reached the pillared porch of the white washed building. With marble pathways and trimmed rose bushes, it became blatantly obvious to Ray that the family that lived here was not only rich, but beyond wildest dreams rich, especially when she walked through the open doors.

After flashing her F.P.D. identity towards the officer posted in the beyond lavishly decorated foyer, Rachel heard the sounds of Dr. Abby and Drix voices and steps follow her. She proceeded to make her way down the long, ceiling high room, her instincts pointing her towards where she suspected the body to be.

Yup, she was right. In the first room to the left, there, suspended by a thick rope with a fallen step ladder placed underneath, was the swinging body of the once richest man in Frank. The deceased white blood cell was thin with a receded hair line, garbed in silk pajamas that probably cost more than all her furniture. With a sigh Rachel let her bag slump down to the ground.

"Alright, listen up people. Is the initial documentation of the untouched body done yet? Great, I'm gonna need a couple of hands to help my lower this guy. Then I'll need some-"

"Excuse me, miss? Yeah, just who do you think you are?" Rachel felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up with ire. Who, in the hell, was questioning her? Who the hell was going to need to learn a lesson about respecting the woman who knew how to handle a scalpel better than anyone else in this Frank forsaken body, psychopaths included?

With a slow turn of her heels, Rachel found that she and the few cops that were already in the room weren't the only ones here. Sitting on and lined up behind a satin couch was a strange group of cells, each dressed beyond tastefully fine.

The two red blood cells lined up behind looked like servants, what with one in a black tail coat and a chef's hat. Sitting on the couch the butler and cook were standing behind were two much more finely dressed cells, a young woman and an older man of white blood cell lineage. They were painfully slim, and had straight hair that framed their thin faces. It didn't take Rachel half a second to deduce that the two were obviously related to the victim, which made their presence in the same room as his corpse a bit on the creepy side.

"Who let civilians onto a crime scene? Drix," She called out to the pill that had finally caught up with her along with Dr. Abby "Show these people outta here now"

"Excuse me young lady, but who do you think you are to force us to leave our home?" Asked the older man, Ray recognizing his voice as the one that had called out to her earlier. With another turn on her heels, Rachel glared out coldly at the four civilians.

"I_ know_ I am the only medical professional in this room with enough experience and brains to figure out what happened to your son, and I know that it is against regulations to let those who are immediately related to or have some connection deceased stay in an area deemed a crime scene until it has been fully searched" Rachel replied tartly, finding some pleasure in the old man's surprised face when she revealed that she knew of his connection to the victim, which was obvious really.

"That's all and well dearie, but we didn't catch your name" Said the young woman next to the older man, Rachel taking a wild guess that she was sister to the victim.

"That's cause I didn't throw it baby. Now, let Drix here show you the way out politely, or I will show you all out, with my boots" Rachel spoke as she motioned for Drix to take care of the civilians as she so gently suggested, mentally cursing herself for sounding like a certain virus she despised. With a few grumbles and snobbish whines, the family and servants were shown out of the room, leaving just Dr. Abby, Rachel, and a few S.F.F.F. members alone to their investigative devises.

"Ya know Dr. Rachel, you could have been a little more polite, seein' as how they were close to the victim. They might take it like you don't care about what happened…" Gently said Abby as she started to look through the photos one of her underlings had already taken of the crime scene. Before she could snap and bark back the retort she had lined up, Rachel calmed herself down. Abby was right. Feeling at the same time guilty and disgusted that Thrax had managed to alter her mood this much, Rachel spoke her reply softly as she started to dig into her bag of tricks.

"I am responsible for what I say, I am not responsible for what others understand" She said finally, her tone the only indication Abby got that Rachel was apologetic about the matter. The red blood cell smiled as she watched the shorter woman start to get to work. They might certainly not be to birds of a feather, but far be it from either of them, especially Rachel, to say they didn't at least find comfort in each other's company as they both worked together to find out what secrets the crime scene held.

o0o

Hours passed, and Rachel's eyes hurt from straining through her microscope for Frank knows how long. It was an understatement to say that she was exhausted. Like Rachel told Jones before, the cases Andrew assigned them were not the only ones she was involved in, the prick of a mayor making sure that she was the only medical examiner available in a body riddled with crime.

Damn the mayor, and damn the limousine he rode around in.

With a sigh, Ray pushed herself away from the microscope that was zoomed in on some cytoplasm samples from a recent robbery gone horribly wrong. Placing her thickly rimmed glasses back on, she strode away from the counter that stood opposite her desk. She needed a nap. And a drink. Not necessarily in that order.

With her soft padded sneakers squeaking ever so quietly against the tiled floor, Rachel made her way to the archway that led back to the scrounge lounge, knowing that at this late hour the mini bar Jones had set up would be all alone and unguarded. Straightening her white lab coat while trying to repair her chaotic mess of hair into something of a messy bun, Ray glanced out of the window that led to the front court yard of the hospital.

For some reason, she felt herself stop to gaze out from it. Something about the window and her thoughts on alcohol made her feel like she should remember that which felt like it should be obvious. Half dazed with exhaustion and mental strain, Rachel stepped towards the window, leaning herself against its cold frame that kept out the late winter chill.

Without any microorganisms, bloodied weapons, or alcohol to distract her, Rachel's thoughts naturally turned to that which was most troubling to her life.

Why did Thrax kiss her? Why did he think that she would want him to do it again? Why did he want to do it again?

Rachel let her head fall against the glass window with a dull thump, a brief spike of pain forcing the troublesome thoughts back. It wasn't like what had happened between them was anything significant considering the crazy bullshit that was flung into her life. But this was Thrax; he was a killer, a murder, the virus who tried to burn alive not just her and her friends, but everything, every tawdry, filthy, yet wonderful bit of this body she called home. And he kissed her.

She banged her head against the glass again, thinking over just how it was conceivable that she could have even considered the possibility that she might have cared for the red virus. Well, even if she was starting to care, or did, hell if it made a difference now, cause now, she really, really didn't like him. Scratch that, she hated him. She hated his toothy smirk, his stupid, gruff voice, and most of all, his stupid, dull, horrid, yellow eyes that pierced the very chasms of her mind in an attempt to drive her insane with annoyance.

If that was the case, then why was she still standing where she had wished the stupid virus a merry Christmas, where she had thought she heard him whisper the same back at her? Yeah, she remembered why this window reminded her of intoxication and a red pervert, a very bad combination indeed.

Another banging of face against glass echoed through the hallway. This was becoming pathetic. No, it was pathetic three days ago, now it was just pitiful. She was Rachel Leucocytus for Frank's sake. Her mother was a no nonsense cop, her father a man of dangerous talents and with an even more dangerous trade, and she a woman who had survived living out on the streets, tamed a rabies virus, and became a medical doctor without aid from anyone. All that and more compared to the trouble Thrax had been giving her just didn't seem so unnerving anymore.

With a small smile, Rachel began to feel fortified for the first time since the incident now that she placed things in perspective. She could handle Thrax, even if she didn't tell Jones. Hell, what with all he was going through what with Leah needing more comfort now that her mom's health has taken a turn for the worse, and he still torn up with making and keeping deals with scum like the Mayor and Thrax, it would only hurt more than help the situation to if she told him.

That was it, the thoughts she had pushed away for so long finally cleared themselves up as a new resolve to tell off Thrax on her own set itself in her mind. She wouldn't trouble Jones, she would be able to handle anything the virus would try next no matter what it was, and really, compared to the other troubles in her life, this situation was just a small, insignificant bother that would pass eventually. A very confident grin spreading, Rachel turned herself right around to start walking towards the direction the still needed alcohol was kept.

And met a pair of glowing and gripping yellow eyes.

"What the fuck?! Thrax! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Rachel nearly shouted, ashamed that she had not only failed to hear him get so close to her, but also because she jumped back at the sight of him leaning so casually against the wall opposite her.

"Was in the garage, heard a noise. You know, if you keep hitting your head like that, it's gonna cause some permanent damage to that pretty head of yours" Rachel scoffed at the teasing tone of Thrax, feeling what she hoped was an ugly sneer work its way on her face.

"Don't piss me off today Red, I'm running out of places to store bodies. Literally" Thrax merely chuckled at her somewhat serious threat, shifting himself back up to his full stature. With him towering over her even though across the way, Rachel suddenly became how alone she was in the darkened hallway, save for the virus of course. Great, the one moment she was without Zane. Oh well, she figured this would happened sooner or later, though she had hoped for later.

"What's the matter baby? You look a little, nervous" The virus's voice trailed off as he gestured a clawed hand at her face, motioning to her lip that was being kneaded by her teeth as she thought about what to do.

"I'm not nervous Red. Just incredibly annoyed" She replied with a roll of her eyes and cynical tone "But I do want to talk to you. About, well, you know…" Rachel's own voice trailed off as she meet his gaze defiantly, refusing to allow him think in the slightest that he intimidated her. The smirk that spread across the virus's face was positively devilish, made more so by his fervently glowing eyes.

"Mmh, what a coincidence baby. So was I" Thrax hardly missed the disgusted shudder that went through the woman standing before him with arms crossed in an unconscious attempt to guard herself, and he chuckled. With just two steps forward he closed the distance between them to just a few feet, his head tilting downward to still keep a hold of Ray's gaze.

"What do you think are you doing?" Asked Rachel, her voice sounding as strangely assertive as she felt even with the virus this close. The smirk Thrax wore grew wider as his shoulders seemed to roll in a predatory fashion, his head angling to one side as he peered down at her.

"Nothing you don't want me to baby" He replied, his tone taking an eerily mellifluous quality to it as he leaned forward ever so slightly so he was levelled over her arched back face. Ray felt her back collide none too gently with the glass window behind her, just realizing that she had been backing away from the virus all along. Before she even had time to look around to see if there was a way around him, Thrax placed a clawed hand on the space to the left of her head, trapping her between him and the window.

"I don't believe I ever told you that I wanted this, or anything else from you, for that matter" Rachel spoke calmly as she glared daggers up at Thrax. He simply let out a gruffly toned chuckle at her statement, entertained further with the thought that even with her face hidden behind a pair of gawky glasses and figure hidden in an unflattering lab coat, she still looked every bit as pleasing as she did the last time he managed to trap her. Maybe it was the way her eyes widened with every inch he edged closer, the way she put up a defiant air that dared him to continue...

"Yes you did. Hell, you are right now"

"What do you mean?" Ray asked, her tone falling into genuine confusion.

"I mean, if you didn't want this," Pausing to lift his left hand towards her face, Thrax chuckled for a third time as he saw the sapphire woman jolt at the touch of his claw slowly trailing down from her cheek to her neck "you would have fought back by now baby"

Rachel briefly considered making up for the grievous lack of violence he so mentioned, but decided against it. If she was going to get herself out of this, and keep herself from ever being in the same situation again, she was going to need to confront him now or never. Besides, if she did smack him two ways to kingdom come, then she wouldn't be able to hear the rest of his prepared speech, and her curiosity just wouldn't allow such a thing come to pass.

"You would have told Jones, you would have set your mutt on me. You would have done something" Thrax let his claws become entangled with a loose strand of silver hair, winding it in around somewhat indifferently as he dropped his voice to a low whisper.

"But you didn't, and you won't" He paused, taking pleasure in the small wave of shock that passed through Rachel's expression at his statement.

"So, the only thing that's left for you is to just admit that you want me as much as I want you" Finally, Ray seem to snap into her anger, surprise, and even fear she felt for the virus in front of her, every bit of emotion reflected on her face. Thrax felt like chuckling again, but held himself back. That fear was understandable, but not warranted. He did want everything she had to offer, but he sought to make her to want him just as much as he did her. Though he could with ease, he wouldn't do anything the doctor wouldn't allow him to.

It was just so much more entertaining when two were willing to play the game.

"Maybe you didn't hear me Red. I will _never_ want anything from you" Rachel finally spoke, her voice no longer calm, but bitingly angry. It a good amount of will power she had to resist swatting away his hand or slapping the smirk he wore right off right then and there despite her resolve not to. But now, there was something else refraining her from doing so, something that felt eerily like a tremoring surge of heat permeating her spine, and it was rather side tracking.

"And I am planning on screaming very soon" She added despite the strangely distracting sensation, annunciating her words heavily, as if to make the simple statement sound more of a threat than it really was. This time Thrax didn't hold back his scoffing laughter as he dropped his roaming hand back down to his side.

"I understand. Sometimes I have that effect" If this had been just any old conversation between them, Rachel would have rolled her eyes and responded with a sarcastic comment. But this hardly the time for that, seeing as how Thrax started trailing his fore claw up her arm with a sickening smirk.

"You being, well, you, I bet you didn't ever stop to think that maybe all my offers, ever single one, were all serious. Even in the beginning" Thrax's eyes lowered away from Rachel's finally, watching his own hand as it traced over the sleeve of her white lab coat.

"It's really your own fault. You never once thought that just maybe someone would ever find you so entertaining, so desirable"

Just then, something snapped inside Rachel's mind, like a final piece of a horrid puzzle being fitted into the last available space. Almost immediately, all her effort went into blocking the thought that was created at Thrax's statement, her senses barely registering that Thrax was leaning even closer, his fore claw tracing itself back up to her face.

"Well, now you do. So, what are you going to do about it…Rachel?" Thrax whispered lowly in her ear, hearing her gasp back into attention as if she had not notice him creep so close. The silence, though tense with impatient waiting, was rather enjoyable to Thrax, seeing as how Rachel continued to stare at him with those large, shocked obsidian eyes. Finally though, the good doctor snapped herself back with a cruel sneer.

Without a word, the small woman drove her elbow upwards to collide with Thrax's jaw, sending him reeling back. Though more surprised than hurt, the virus watched with a bruised smirk as Rachel stormed away down the hall, nearly running. As much as she tried to deny it, Thrax knew what he had spoken was true. He could read her like a book, and her eyes spelled out exactly what he wanted to see in them…

That arrogant, chauvinist, pig-headed, perverted son of a bitch thought Rachel as she stomped towards the scrounge lounge. That ingrown infection, how could he ever think that was the reason why she had not told Jones? It was obvious, she didn't want to trouble to cell, and she knew she could handle him on her own. Hell, her hitting him and walking away was proof of just that!

Now in the darkened scrounge lounge, Rachel headed straight over to the kitchen area. Damn that perverted petri dish grown virus, how could he think that she would ever want him? Would ever allow him even touch her?

Slamming open one of the cabinet doors, Ray grabbed one of the many bottles of cheap alcohol, and with one twist of her wrist freed the cap. As soon as the glass rim touched her lips, she could feel herself start to relax at the comforting warmth of the liquid pouring down her throat, helping her thoughts clear themselves into a more objective state of mind.

In a way, she did have to confess that her unwillingness to speak to Jones or Drix about the matter might have come across as her not minding the virus's actions. But Rachel knew that to be far from the truth, she just didn't want to bother Jones, he had enough troubles.

Still, she had only decided that was the case this morning, and not during the many chances she had to tell her friend of her troubles. Downing more liquid as she let herself lean back against a kitchen counter, Ray felt the thoughts she had so many times before try to banish flood back, forcing her to recognize them in full.

She didn't tell Jones just because she didn't want to bother him. She didn't tell because she was afraid of Thrax or embarrassed. So, then why?

With no other explanations left to her, Rachel felt one single thought arise in the midst of the many that battered against her mind.

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

Maybe, just hypothetically, the impossible was true. Maybe she did like being chased for once; maybe she did like the thrill of getting caught by someone like him. Perhaps she found something enjoyable in his constant teasing and flirtation, found something enjoyable in the way he practically was always so laid back and calm. It could be possible that when he kissed her, she didn't fight back because she actually did enjoy it. Possible that she let him corner her because wondered what he would try next.

Maybe, perhaps, possible. No, these were the wrong words. These words weren't true, and she knew it. That was the finally puzzle piece that snapped into place before when Thrax spoke, the most forbidden thought of all that as soon was conceived was just to much for Rachel to take.

With a gasp that was filled with guilt and shock, Rachel dropped the half empty bottle, sending out an echo of broken glass across the room. Her head shaking slowing in disgust, Ray felt her knees give out, forcing her to slump to the tiled floor roughly.

"Frank, no. No, it's impossible…I, I can't"

She did enjoy the games, that's why she played them. She did enjoy the chase, that's why she let herself get caught. She did enjoy the kiss, that's why she didn't fight back as hard as she could have.

And she _did_ want Thrax.

A whisper of words filled with shame, self-loathing, fear, and truth murmured quietly in the small kitchen, followed quickly by the chocked gasps of exhaustion and misery.

"What do I do?"

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

Well, well, well kiddies! I promised that things would get more angsty and heated! And did I deliver or what?! Anywho, onto the chapter. First off, the 'I'd pity him' bit came from was said by Wednesday Addams in the movie 'Addams Family Values', so credit where credit is due.

**THIS IS IMPORTANT! **The chapter title isn't 'What To Do?' just because Rachel needs to figure out what she is gonna do about Thrax, it is also a question to you guys! I am asking you guys what to do, because the next chapter is going to be what you want because you said it! Yes! Here's how this is gonna work!

**First off**, you gotta comment (hehe, I am sneaky). In your comment, you got to answer these questions:

**1. **Who do you think is guilty of the crime in this chapter? Pick one out of the suspects (Butler, Cook, Sister, or Grandfather)!

**2. **Why did you think the person killed the victim? (It doesn't have to be something rational, hell, even if you say it was because they were jealous of his stamp collection, I would do it if I liked it!)

**3. **This is the best one, you get to insert both a line, an object, and an activity that the characters have to do in the story! Yes, you get to pick what one of the characters says, insert a random object that the characters have to interact with, and an activity that ALL of Frank's Finest have to do (Yes, that includes Thrax, but please try to be respectful of the characters personalities, or not, your choice)!

The answers I like best will be put into the story, I might just pick and choose certain answers or I just might pick one commenter's answers, who knows, but you all stand an equal chance to control the story! I will give all the answers I use credit in the next upcoming chapter; 'What to Do? Part 2'!

As always, hopefully same time, defiantly same place. Till then…

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Keep up the heat…


	14. Chapter 14 What to do? Part 2

Chapter 14; What to do? Part 2: 

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

I am so, so, so, so, sorry people! My last update was forever ago, and I left it at such a cliff hanger too! I started posting chapters for my Rise of the Guardians fanfic, and got caught up in that, but now I am back onto to this one and I'll try not to leave it alone for so long again! I'm sorry…

Credit for the themes and answers I used for this part 2 will be given at the end, so enjoy! Also, thanks to GlassBlu, glad you like this story so much, your comment made me come back to this story (have been working on a Rise of the Guardians fanfic, it's up to 9 chapters already, so go check it out if you want, but sorry that this story had to suffer)!

~o0o~

_It will not do, my friend, to grant an easy indulgence to natural appetite and desire, for they ever seek to be our masters ~ _ _T.S. Arthur_

After all the viruses, germs, and general pieces of scum she had managed to put away with her work in forensics, Rachel still ended up just like her.

Years and years of rejecting one normal, sane cell after another to only end up wanting a psychotic killer. Yup, she was her mother's daughter alright.

It was just another bright, sunny morning inside Frank. The birds were singing, Zane was purring, and Rachel had a hangover that could kill someone that had a lesser threshold for head splitting pain. Her headache wasn't helped in the least bit that Jones and Drix were sitting on the couch opposite her, but she didn't mind that they were there. Hell, their prattling about the party games Dr. Abby told Drix she loved to play in high school helped keep her focused on her pain rather than the reason why she had drunk herself into such a stupor last night.

Rachel felt the sigh born of her troubled thoughts leave her, causing her to pinch the bridge of her nose to press away the slight ache that brought her. The real reason for her troubles, for her pain, was not in fact the virus sitting in the couch he had come to claim as his, pretending to sketch out his latest mechanic endeavor rather than watching the drunken doctor with a crooked smirk. No, it would be dishonest to just blame Thrax, not when the real culprit is herself and herself alone.

_She_ participated in his many games, _she_ allowed him to get away with that one kiss, _she_ wanted him in a shamefully un-platonic way, _she_…was getting a massive migraine just breathing and needed to stop thinking.

With another sigh, Ray, with great difficultly, once more, for the hundredth time since last night, pushed aside her thoughts, lest she be driven into shamed madness. Instead, she finally sat herself up from the couch she think she ended up sleeping on for the night after guzzling several bottles of whatever she could grab, and turned her attention onto the two men sitting across from her.

"And then, you spin the bottle around and then you have to smooch whoever it points to. You do this until everyone in the circle has kissed everyone else at least once, or else what's the point?" Explained Jones, ending his statement with a beaming grin. It was a rare occasion when he got the chance to explain something he, of course, had much knowledge and experience in, to his socially inept, but genius friend. Drix however, was not seeing the irony in his normally brainless friend teaching him, and was rather embarrassed that he had no knowledge that such a juvenile, and for that matter debauch, game was played by pre-teens and the like.

"Hm, h-how interesting" He finally muttered as he cleared his throat, having to swallow a couple of thoughts down as he recalled how Abby said she was very good at that game "Now, about the one called truth or dare?"

"Well, that one's pretty simple" Said Jones, glancing around for a moment until his gaze fell on the still form of Rachel before beaming at his partner "Watch. Hey, Ray! Truth or dare?"

Rachel growled lowly in irritation, spooking Zane somewhat.

"…truth" She finally spoke, hoping that maybe allotting to this silly game would help her forget, well, everything, even if just for a moment.

"Alright, now that she chose truth, it's my job to ask an embarrassing question, like I would if she chose dare" Said Jones in a rather instructive manner before stroking his chin in thought.

"Mmh, when was the last time you were kissed, and, by who?" He finally asked, making Drix stiffen in preparation for a maelstrom of violence that surely was going to be Rachel's reaction. Ray merely hung her head with a shamed shake, not even bothering to glance to Thrax knowing that his smirk only grew wider.

"Last night, your mother" She replied with, standing herself up with a stretch. Couches and hangovers never treated her back right.

"Haha, very funny" Said Jones dryly, hardly missing the chuckle that Drix thought would go unnoticed. Rachel looked over the company before her, sending a rather soft expression towards Jones and Drix before she folded her arms across her chest.

"Well, as exciting as this is, I'm going to solve a murder now" With that, she turned to leave, heading straight for her lab rather than go change or even brush her teeth. She needed to work, she needed to either keep her mind flowing with forensic problems or numbed with alcohol, for Frank helped her if she allowed herself to think further on the virus matter.

"She's been acting all weird lately" Muttered Jones to Drix, unaware that a hearing keen disease was listening in from his position across them.

"Yes, I know" Said Drix with a concerned shake of his head. Weird was an understatement to him though, troubling, or even worrisome seemed more fitting to him

"Think we should…ask her what's wrong?" tentatively asked Jones, looking at his partner with a tentative expression. After a moment of staring at each other, both cops shuddered in cold fear.

"There's this other game I want to inquire about. Abigail said she particular liked playing seven minutes in heaven…" They went on, putting the Rachel problem aside for the moment as Thrax, on his private couch, started humming some jazzy tune, deep in thought.

o0o

She did want him.

She did want him.

She did want him.

She did want him to kiss her again just as much as she wanted to slice off that cocky smirk off his face. Maybe more.

Once again, Rachel felt the strong urge to go find a bottle of alcohol and drown herself in it, but managed to resist as she monitored the many machines in her lab as they whirled and spun. As much as she wanted to concentrate on the numbers that flittered by, her mind was, of course, over run with other thoughts.

It wasn't that good of a kiss anyway.

And his flirts were text book cliché.

And she probably only wanted him because she was starved of that kind of physical affection for years.

Rachel sighed, her head gently colliding with the cabinets above her work station. As much as these facts were probably true, she still, indeed, wanted him. Damn him to the lowest circle of hell. What was she going to do about it? Would she resist? Would Thrax give her the option too or would she have to fight him off to preserve what little dignity she had left? What if she did give in, would it be so bad to want to be desired for once and take all the affection, however poisoned its source was? Wasn't her working supposed to push away all these damn thoughts?!

"Yo, Ray? You done with your autopsy of the victim yet?" Jones asked as he strode into the coroner section of the hospital, trying to contain the disgusted shiver that went through him every time he entered this section of the hospital. Rachel, distracted, either didn't notice him or was too preoccupied to reply until he was right beside the stool she was sitting on.

"Mmh? Oh, uh, almost. Just need to take out and analyze the stomach contents…" Rachel trailed off, her eyes wandering back over to the machines in front of her but her mind clearly somewhere else. Jones, as much as he was hoping for some quick results so he could bolt out of the creepy lab, let out a sigh.

"Ray, girl? What's the matter with you? You've been acting all sorts of temperamental lately, and now I barely get a sarcastic snip outta you, this morning the exception" He told her, his toned relatively concerned. Rachel looked back up at him, her expression troubled, and that to Jones was far worse than any other look he had seen on the small, but intimidating woman.

"Just…just been thinking over things…" She tried to start, hesitating as she tried to find the gumption to say the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

"Jones? If, if I…" She began again, looking away this time to the tile floor rather than her friend's concerned face. It hurt her to look at him, she didn't deserve to confide her problems in him.

"I'm in bit of mess right now Jones," Rachel finally continued at seeing Jones lean himself against the counter top she was working at, patient and understanding "and I don't have anyone to blame for it but myself. I, I don't really know what I'm going to do about it though. I know what I _want_ to do, but that's something I know would only bring trouble and…"

She was ashamed, wholly and fully ashamed, but, being her, she was honest, and she knew what was true. She did want Thrax, and she did want to take every bit of his affections, she starved for years without relief. It would be a sin, she knew that, but would it be a sin worth being reprimanded for? Would there be no going back if she did give in, even if just a little bit?

"Look," Started Jones, bringing Rachel's attention back onto him "I don't know what's wrong with you, besides the obvious" At this, he brought a hand up to the side of his face to do the immature sign for craziness, to which Ray, annoyed, nudged him with her elbow "But I got your back. Drix and Leah too, you know that"

She looked at him, straight in the eye, for a long time, him just staring back at her. Finally though, she smiled. Jones took this as a good sign, and decided to get her off the topic that took up her trouble mind.

"Unlike this poor sucker here" He gestured to the medical file for the recently deceased billionaire "Probably was done in by his own family. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they poisoned him or something and then tried to make it look like a suicide"

Rachel chuckled out of pity for the dead man, and over the way Jones started to strut his way out of the lab. Just then, the machine sounded off, its analysis of the cell's stomach contents complete. Looking at the readings, Rachel felt her eyebrows lifting in sheer disbelief.

"That's disturbing" She muttered, Jones instantly working his way back to look over her shoulder.

"Why? Was I right?" He asked, looking at the words and numbers displayed on the screen as if they were another language.

"That's what's disturbing" Rachel told him with a smirk, causing Jones to perk up with a toothy grin.

"That's the Ray I know and fear. Come on, let's go catch us a killer"

o0o

For several hours, the members of Frank's Finest, minus one virus restricted to the Fine Mobile, and the S.F.F.F. scoured through the large estate house that once belonged to their rice victim. It took a bit of work and creativity, but finally, conclusions were found and recorded. In a good mood, Jones had gathered up the suspects into the living room that was still marked with police tape and chalk outlines. Rachel, Drix, and Dr. Abby stood by, Jones standing right before the couch that seated the heiress and her grandfather, the cook and butler standing behind it like yesterday.

"Why have we been summoned in such a manner?" Asked the heiress, irked beyond comprehension that the cop in front of her was playing with a rubber ducky happily squeaking it. He looked at her, almost bored as if the plastic toy brought him more amusement than she, which, it did.

"Cause there's just a couple more questions we need to ask you, that's why" Jones told her before turning his attention back onto the rubber duck. As annoyed as she was with him for being rather immature about the investigation now, Rachel had to admit that Jones's, um, method of interrogation was putting the suspects on edge.

"Then ask and be done dearie. I have an appointment I cannot miss" Spoke the heiress once more, waving her hand as if to dismiss them all from her sight. Jones said nothing, but he started to walk over to the couch. Going behind it, he put himself in between the cook and the butler, not looking at either, but making both uncomfortable. Then, he spoke.

"Where were you on the night of your boss's supposed suicide?!" Jones shouted at the cook, the poor woman frightened out of her wits by his question and the fact that a rubber ducky was now in her face. From her corner of the room, Rachel hid her face behind her hands, shaking her head; Jones, oh Jones, how have you ever survived this long?

"Wh-what?" Asked the wide-eyed cook.

"Haha, just messin' with you" Said Jones with a laugh, but then his face grew stern "But no, seriously, where were you?"

"A-as I have told the other policemen, and you, before, I was in the kitchen. I had just finished cleaning up from dinner, and was about to go home, when I discovered my employer dangling from the chandelier, dead" Said the poor cook, still unsure about whether the cop in front of her was entirely in possession of his wits.

"And you guys didn't cut him down because?" Jones asked, his black eyes wandering over to the seated figures before him. The heiress took it upon herself to answer.

"I told the servants not to. I wanted nothing to be tampered with until the police arrived"

"Is that so? Or is it because you didn't want anyone to move the body for fear of you being discovered?" Said Jones, folding his arms as he sauntered over to the front of the couch, acting every bit an Inspector Clueso or Dick Tracey from the human world.

"What is it that you are implying sir?" Spoke the grandfather, standing up in all his wrinkled pride to huffily look at the whipper snapper who dare speak to them like this.

"I implyin' that little miss tiara here ain't on the straight and narrow!" Said Jones, turning to point to the heiress "Spill it! You hated your brother, didn't you?"

"It is no secret that I did. But I didn't kill him" Replied the woman, Jones somewhat surprised that she answered so readily; he had guessed that part. But, thankfully, he had other tricks and aces up his sleeve.

"That's what you say now, but what if I told you we could prove that you did?" He said, folding his arms behind his back as he paced away.

"What if I told you, that your brother, was poisoned?" Rachel rolled her eyes, finding no amusement in Jones tendency to be a bit theatrical. Drix and Abby too were giving the immunity cell odd looks, though all of them could not wait for the grand finale. Jones did not disappoint.

"What if I told you he was poisoned not by the meal he ate, but by a swig of whiskey he had out of this bottle?!" At this, Jones pointed to a glass container filled with brownish liquid on the end table of the very same couch the accused was seated on.

"All the inheritance in your grandfather's will goes to your brother, doesn't it? That's why you hated him! And now that he is out of the way, it goes to you!" Said Jones, shouting out his hypothesis to the world with intense excitement.

"Do you have nothing but circumstantial evidence and old mystery movies clichés to link me to this crime, or are you eventually going to get to a point?" Said the heiress coolly, her prime and proper composition barely shifting as Jones took a couple steps forward.

"The point, madam, is this! You poisoned the whiskey, knowing that your brother would drink it!" Stated Jones confidently.

"That is not true" Spoke the woman, finally standing up, though how she accomplished this in her unfrankly high heels was a complete mystery to Rachel. Jones however, merely continued.

"You can deny it all you want madam, but we have your finger prints on the bottle, and the lovely Dr. Abby's crew had discovered traces of the poison on , and-"

"I didn't mean to kill my brother, I meant to kill my grandfather"

"-you forgot to properly wash the bottle you kept the poison, wait, WHAT?!" Shrieked Jones, dropping the rubber ducky he was now fancying taking home with him. All looked at the woman, some gasping in shock, others glaring. Soon though, she turned, facing the man she had just willingly admitted she wanted dead.

"You entitled all the inheritance money to my brother because you hated me. You never liked me, or mother, or father, but you were willing to tolerate that parasite of a man because he was the only one who pretended to like the sight of your wrinkly face" She said, proud and happy, like she was removing a load off of her chest. With that, she turned to face Jones.

"Well, now you know. I expect I shall be seeing you all in court, where my lawyers will be certain to negotiate parole in a matter of months. Good day" She left for the door, a couple of shocked S.F.F.F. agents and cops following her to take her to the station, praying to Frank that she didn't demand to be driven in a limo. The others just sort of looked at each other, the suspects leaving to try to contemplate what the hell just happened; especially a sour-faced old man. Rachel sighed as she joined to be beside Jones, Drix, and Abby, wondering how only the world's anomalies managed to get all the money in this body.

"Another murderer caught, another case closed" Said Drix as he watched Jones bend down to pick up the bath toy, rolling his eyes as he put it in his pocket.

"Yeah. To tell the truth, I was hoping it was the butler. Just once in my career I want to say the butler did it" Jones muttered disappointedly. Rachel shook her head, joined by Drix and Abby.

"You're hopeless Jones"

o0o

They were nearing the end of the day, Rachel on the second floor of the mansion, gathering up her forensic equipment from the heiress's bathroom. It had been a long, tiresome day that started off very wrong with a hangover and a smirking virus. But now, she was feeling alright. Over the course of the day she had, come somewhat to a decision about the Thrax matter, but for the moment she wouldn't worry herself about it. It was rather odd, her conclusion about what to do, rather anti-climactic in away. But, the effects of her decision would soon be brought to light, something she was oddly looking forward to…

Finished in the bathroom, she left for the hall way that led for the wide set stairs. She stopped though, hearing a noise behind her. She had come to believe that she was alone upstairs. Dropping her heavy duffle bag to the ground, she backtracked, gently stepping and checking behind each door as she went along further and further down the hall. Reaching the end of it, noticing how eerily the walls lamps seemed to only create more shadow, Rachel sighed. Taking off her glasses to pinch her nose, tucking the seeing specks into a pocket, she shook her head in exhaustion. Like she said, long, tiresome day.

She turned herself around, about to make her way back, when she walked straight into something warm and muscular. Crap.

"You know baby, we got to stop running into each other like this. I mean, what would people say?" Spoke Thrax, calm, composed, and smirking up a storm that he managed to make the good doctor hurriedly back away. To say he was bored waiting in the car was an understatement, but when he saw that everyone was starting to pack up, he couldn't help himself to a bit of fun, and snuck inside.

"That you're a mentally unstable stalker?" Retorted Rachel in her usual sarcastic tone, folding her arms over the front of her blue jumpsuit. She was glaring at him, but couldn't really see him as she had taken off her glasses, but he could see her perfectly, and what a sight she was. Thrax's smirk spread out into a leer.

"I prefer the term thrill chaser" He purred out, coming forward. As was instinctual for her, Ray backed up, quickly finding herself pressing up against the wall that marked the end of the hall way. Trapped.

"Of course you would" Rachel muttered as she looked for a way to get past him, but his broad shoulders seem to take up the whole width of the now very narrow looking passage. Thrax kept on forward, not encouraged by her irritated glare, but not deterred by the knife he knew she had on her at all times now. If anything the knowledge that she was armed and willing to use it on him riled him up in a most delightful way. Thrax stopped, but only when there was but a few inches of space between the two of them, Rachel pressing herself as much as she could against the wall, but, the temptation to close the distance herself was rather strong…

"Is that all I am then? Just a thrill for you to chase?" She whispered, looking at him with such delicious defiance that Thrax was only partially aware that he placed his left arm above her head, allowing him to lean over her, towering.

"Chase," He said in that robust purr of his, his yellow eyes locked onto Rachel's wide and somewhat frustrated gaze. His right hand drew itself up her side, feeling the curve of her figure beneath the baggy suit, coming to rest on the zipper. Oh, he had been wanting to do this for the longest time, since he saw the jumpsuit to be exact.

Taking it, gently, Thrax smirked as he lowered the zipper, revealing more and more of the white tank top she wore underneath it. He let go once it reached its end, tugging at the sides to spread out the jumpsuit. Rachel did nothing, only stared right back up at those eyes that never left hers, feeling her chest start to rise and fall more noticeably for breath. It took much conscious effort to keep her lips from parting to help draw in the air she needed now.

"…and catch" Thrax finally finished, turning his gaze down to watch as his own hand slipped underneath her tank top. Rachel, for the first time around him, let her mind just stop, allowing no thought to cross except those which could not be helped in this situation; for example, just how good his searing hand felt on her stomach.

Thrax could not believe his luck when the good doctor closed her eyes, and ever so leaned into his touch. He expected a punch, maybe a tossed knife, but this? To say it was a pleasant, not to mention welcome surprise, would be a grievous understatement.

Somehow knowing he could, her allowing it, Thrax took his sweet time as he spread out his claw tipped fingers, releasing in the delicate warmth of the sapphire skin beneath them. He looked back up to Rachel's face, and saw no trace hesitance or resistance in her features, just opposite actually. He smirked, wide and crooked.

Rachel was overtaken by that old, now very familiar feeling of hot needles of sensation trailing up her spine, but this time the feeling decided to spread out to her limbs, making her hands clench at the wall she was pressed up against. Thrax became bolder, bringing his hand up further so his claws now traced themselves over the undersides of her bra, ever so tauntingly dipping below the fabric just to pull away. Rachel felt like she was just about to speak, though what she was going to say she had no idea, when Thrax lowered his face to hers, brushing his pointed cheekbones against hers.

She couldn't help it, it just escaped. Damn it, now she could feel him smirking against her skin, chuckling deeply in male pride that he managed to make her moan, even if it was only a short, but needy sound. He wanted to say something, and was, but in the spur of the moment, took a gentle hold of her earlobe, and nipped. His chest rumbled with a soundless chuckle as he succeeded in drawing another moan from Rachel, this one far from quiet.

"Well now baby, seems to me that you want to be caught" Thrax whispered as he slowly turned to capture her lips, but he stopped when he felt two hands come to rest on his chest. As much as he loved the feeling of her delicate fingers on him, Thrax drew back his face to be met with a downright sinful look from Rachel.

"Maybe, maybe not" She told him with a smirk, looking up at him through her lashes as she tried to regain her breath. Thrax leered at her words, and made to come close, when Rachel pushed him away, gently, but enough to make him back up a couple of steps.

"Either way," Rachel spoke, tone now becoming its usual, cynical tone as she pulled her glasses out from her pocket to put them on "you still haven't caught me just yet Red"

With that, she walked past him, deliberately allowing the brushing of their bodies as she continued down the long hall way, knowing full well that his eyes were on her retreating figure.

"Only a matter of time baby" Whispered Thrax to himself as he leaned back, needing to recover his composure some from their little encounter "Only a matter of time"

It was decided, games now done, choices made, however shamelessly wrong.

She was starved for affection, so she would take all she could get for as long as she could without crossing the line she knew would damn her if she ever did. He was bored, and he wanted her more than any other living being he could remember, and would enjoy every second of the chase, and catch.

It would be simple. It would just be desire, want, and lust fulfilled.

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

Well kiddies, it's been a long time, but finally, I have returned! It might take a while for the next chapter to be posted, seeing as how finals are coming up. But here's a bit right now, next time I post, I will be posting two chapters! How's that?

Thank you all for your input and ideas, all of them were fantastic, but unfortunately, I couldn't use them all, so here's the due credit to those that made it!;

Okay, for the first question; the Heiress. Nearly all of you guys said it was her, nearly note, not all. But with a majority vote, I went with it. Sad, I really wanted it to be the butler, but no one chose him…(also, your guys' reasons why she killed her brother were rather dark…you guys worry me…)

Skywardwriter won the activity the Frank's Finest gang played, it was rather fun thinking up how that would work (note, does Thrax sitting in a corner while the game is playing count as him playing truth or dare?)

ChiyukiLuvs2Glomp won the inserted item part with her rubber ducky!

And finally, no one won the inserted line bit, because, they were all really good! I'm going to be using them all throughout this fanfic, so congrats everybody!

Okay then kiddies, hopefully same time, defiantly same place. Till then…

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I would normally say turn up the heat or keep the heat, but damn! That last bit of the chapter was scorching enough! Haha, see you around kiddies; trust me, things are only going to get hotter around here! ;)


	15. Chapter 15 Spiders in Control

Chapter 15; Spiders in Control:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

Short chapter here folks, it gets a few of the plot points out of the way. Just suffer through it, because I already posted the next chapter after this, which, let me tell you, is a real fun one! If you chose to skip over this, I don't blame you, but don't come commenting to me later when a couple of things don't make sense! (seriously though, just read it, it's not that long and it keeps you away from homework that much longer)

~o0o~

_Lies work much like spider webs, everyone knows this. They tangle and trap their prey as helpless as a real web would for flies. But what people don't know, is that sometimes, the very spider that weaves the web can too become trapped within its own creation, staving itself of the very nourishment it meant to capture ~A Princess LaLaBlue quote (Go on, say it. I'm awesome)_

Jones looked at the right hand man of the mayor who sat across from him in the tight space of the observation van they took to the crime scene. He wanted to talk, Jones could easily tell that, but just what Andrew wanted to talk to him and Thrax for, he had no idea, and frankly, almost didn't want to.

"Glad you could join me gentlemen. There's really no point of beating around the bush here, so I will just get to the point"

"What? No rhetorical questions, no bragging? Wow, you must really want to talk" Said Jones as he crossed his arms, wishing to know if Rachel and Drix were making good progress on the newest murder case they had been assigned to; a particular investigation of the supposed suicide of a Frank elitist. He hoped it was the butler, just once in his career he wanted to say it was the coattail wearing servant, just once. Thrax merely kept quiet, looking at the two cells with an expression of mixed loathing and curiosity.

"As you know, Frederic the Foot Fungus had escaped from jail, during his transfer to a higher security holding cell"

"Yeah," Said Jones, now growing interested "You told me not to worry about it. But now it seems that you're the one who is worried" Andrew was not surprised that Jones was able to read into his expression, which still kept its usual Aspleen smugness with just a hint of disturbed. This bit of information interested a certain silent virus, who started drumming the tips of his claws against his lazily crossed legs.

"Well, Frederic's escape was not the only breakout to happen of late. It seems the prison had turned itself into a motel, criminals being booked in one day only to be released the next. Thing is, it's all legal, they acquire their paper work and everything" Andrew spoke, leaning forward as if he was worried that someone just might be listening in.

"After they leave, Dr. Abigail and her S.F.F.F. try to keep tabs on them, but so far has lost every single one. Now, wouldn't you agree that losing one target is careless, but losing all is just too happy coincidental?" He asked, a smirk on his face.

"You thinking that there is something else at work here in Frank, like a mass gang looking out for all?" Jones spoke, stroking his chin in thought.

"Viruses don't work like that Jones. Seeing the general scum this body attracts, I doubt that any single one of them are worth bailing out of jail" Spoke Thrax finally, the cop nodding in agreement.

"You're right, there's something else here. Something that apparently has the mayor worried"

"Just opposite actually" Brought up Andrew as he pulled his tie up tighter "He personally ordered me not to bother with this trend of released criminals"

"And you're actually going behind his back and telling us?" Asked Jones, eyes widening in genuine shock. The grey colored brain cell's smirk fell into a grim line.

"Believe what you will, I do care for this city. And I do not like when its leader keeps secrets from me…" With that, Andrew opened the door, believing his subtle hint to investigate into the matters he presented was detected by the cop and virus. Jones hopped out to leave, Andrew about to follow, when he turned to look back at the virus.

"I don't think I need to remind you of our deal we have going?" He asked, his smirk coming back as Thrax chuckled darkly.

"Believe me baby, I'm keeping a very, very close watch of the good doctor"

"I'm sure you are. But remember this virus," At this, Andrew once more went serious, peeking Thrax's interest in amusement "If you hurt her, you'll not only have Jones and the mayor after you, but me as well"

Slamming the sliding door shut, Andrew left to go have himself driven off in his limo, leaving Thrax behind to chuckle at his threat. So many had their interests laying with the sapphire woman, but only one who was willing to show her just how interested…

o0o

Jones shook his head as he got rid of the memories of his odd meeting with Andrew before the 'suicide' of the rich dude who ended up getting killed by his bratty sister by accident; money makes people do really weird things.

Right now, he was acting on the leads that the sneaky right hand of the mayor gave him, killing two birds with one stone as he visited the brain. The elevator he took up the lobe was empty save for him, allowing him to enjoy the view of the city of Frank that stretched out before him.

This was his city, home to him and his friends. And the mayor was playing with every single one of them like pawns for a chess game, and Jones hated chess. He preferred poker.

The elevator let out its usual ding as it hit the top floor, opening up to allow Jones out. For a while, he wandered down hallway after hallway, reading the names that had been painted onto the many doors that lined the way. Finally though, he came across the one he was looking for, and gently taking the door handle, Jones entered the room soundlessly.

"Yes Chief, I have them right here. Uh-huh, uh-huh, umm, no, sorry, that information is not ready to be announced publically. Yeah, oh, yes, things are going very well there. I expect to have him behind your bars by the end of the week. Okay, talk to you later, say hello to your wife for me" Spoke Leah from behind the wooden desk she was seated behind, swiveling her chair over to the book shelves that lined nearly every inch of wall.

Jones strutted in, loving the sight of his woman hard at work. She always looked so beautiful when she concentrated, humming to herself in thought as she looked through files or opened case books for reference. He stayed still for the longest time, watching her as he leaned up against her desk. He knew that she now knew he was in the room, but either of them didn't want to break the comfortable silence; it was so rare when they got to enjoy that.

"Excuse me miss, but I made a twelve o'clock appointment" Jones spoke finally, tone coated in teasing. Leah looked up to meet his gaze, her brows lifting in amusement as she let out a playful smirk.

"Oh really? Well I'm sorry, but I'm not seeing anyone today"

"Please miss, I'll do anything for just a few minutes with you" Jones pleaded, leaning himself closer to the woman whose smirk grew wider.

"Mmh…when you put it that way…" With that, Leah stood herself up, further closing the distance between them. Jones had many images of just what he wanted to do when Leah trailed a finger from his shirt collar to his belt, and many of them involved the very desk he was still leaning against. But, before he could suggest them to his fine, fine woman, Leah shoved a heavy load of paper in his face.

"You can start by filing those away" She said with a chuckle as she sat herself back down in her chair, loving the look of disbelief on Jones's face.

"Haha, you're a riot. Come on Leah girl, let's get serious" Jones replied, his face actually becoming stern as he folded his arms across his chest, having set the paperwork back on her desk.

"Right now Drix is in the basement of city hall, spilling through records, reports, anything that might help explain what the mayor is up to" At his words, Leah stood up, making sure the door was locked and windows closed. In this place, the walls not only had ears, they had tape recorders, and not even the newly appointed District Attorney's office was safe.

"Andrew told you what he told us?"

"Yes" Answered Leah as she came back to the desk, leaning on it next to Jones "And that's not all that's going on here. See, when the criminals' 'buddies' show up with the bail money and proper documentation for release, the copies, and the criminals disappear. Every single one, and not just that. Their records, criminal, educational, hell, even health records are taken. It's as if someone wants us to think that these criminals don't even exist"

"They might as well not" Answered Jones "After they bail out of prison, they seem to disappear in real life. The station is in a frenzy, they never seen their holding cells so empty"

"You think this Frank's Finest thing is working like the mayor wanted it to? Decreasing the criminal rate?"

"Maybe. It seems every criminal we caught goes through this disappearing act. But that's not it. The city is at a record low criminal rate Leah, and it's not us or the cops that are doing it. It's almost like there's another player out there, a, vigilante or something"

"Great," Sighed Leah as she pinched the bridge of her nose in exhaustion "that's all this city needs, another loose screw running around in the name of justice"

"Hey," Protested Jones as he shifted himself to be right in front of Leah, an encouraging look in his eyes as he gently took hold of Leah's chin "We'll figure something out. We have so far"

"I know" Said Leah, looking a little more hopeful, but far from convinced. Jones smiled, lowering his forehead to rest against hers.

"I think you need to go relax some. Your secretary told me you barely leave this room, even after work hours"

"I don't have a secretary" Said Leah, confused.

"Good, then no one will walk in on us" Answered Jones as he smirked, lowering his hands to grip her hips, pressing himself up against her. The brain cell let out something Jones wanted to label a girlish giggle as he bent down to kiss her, feeling her arms wrap around his neck to deepen the kiss. Now, how to get her onto the desk…

o0o

"Jones, good to see you could finally join me" Said Drix as he stopped his pacing by the bay window at the sight of his friend coming towards him. With a knowing glance towards the woman beside him, Jones shrugged his shoulders.

"Sorry, got a little tied up back in Leah's office" Feeling a hand swat the back of his head, Jones chuckled at Leah's slight blush, happy that his medicinal friend's ignorance kept him from guessing what he really meant.

"Hello Miss Leah, it is good to see you. How is you mother doing?" Asked the cold pill politely to the smart, sophisticated woman that greatly contrasted her sneaker wearing boyfriend.

"Still needs her medication, but feeling much better, thanks for asking. Now," She looked both men in the eye, placing her hands confidently on her hips "You boys ready for this?"

"Miss Leah, pardon the use of a cliché line, but, I was born ready" Said Drix as he marched off down the arches that led to the mayor's office, Jones following with an amused smirk for his friend.

They wouldn't exactly reveal all they knew, they were too smart to trust the mayor with that. But, they would find out for themselves how he went about explaining this phenomena of disappearing criminals and escapees. Soon, they reached the impressive door marked the mayor's office, the front of it swarmed by reporters.

"Mr. Mayor, it seems you are already making good on your promises for a better Frank. Tell us, with the crime rate lower than it has been in years, what will you do next"

"Well," Spoke the man of gray tone flesh, a politician grin on his face "While the safety of Frank's citizens is not something to be marked off once crime rates are acceptable, I do plan on acting to change this body's education system. The future of this body, of all of us, relies on our children"

"Mr. Mayor! What about the rumors of anti-bodies being smuggled into Frank?"

"Those are as you say, just rumors. Now," Said Colonic, finally noticing Jones, Drix, and Leah on the edge of the crowd, trying their best not to laugh at the schlock fest that was him boosting his image "I have some matters to attend to. Next press conference will be held in a week, be there or be square!"

Leah rolled her eyes in disgust. This was the man who was blackmailing her to work for him rather than the people, couldn't he act less like a 1950s stereotype and more like the self-righteous bastard she knew him to be?

After a few moments though, the crowd of reporters left the mayor, who was now chatting to a nameless assistant of his, probably ordering coffee. This was there chance.

"Mr. Mayor? A word" Spoke Leah as she and her company stepped forward, bringing the grey brain cell's attention right onto them. A fake, flashing tooth smile overcame the man's face.

"Ah, Miss Leah, a pleasure to see you" Spoke the fluent man, coming up to shake the hesitant hand of the District Attorney. Leah tried to return something of a welcoming grin, but she was never that good of an actress. Instead, she got right to the point.

"Sir, as I am sure you are well aware, the crime rates of Frank have been lowering" Tom nodded his head, a satisfied smile on his face as he nodded to Jones and Drix, acknowledging their presence.

"Yes, isn't it fantastic? Soon we may even be able to hold street fairs, just like to good old days" Jones rolled his eyes, having enough of this man's 'pleasantries'. Stepping up to be beside his girl, arms crossed, he began.

"Yo, Mayor? It isn't the cops or Frank's Finest that are doing this. Criminals are disappearing off of the streets like they never existed" The grey brain cell's eye brows furrowed, as if troubled, and Jones hoped that maybe they might be able to get something useful out of the man after all. Until, he spoke, tone anything but troubled.

"My, that is troubling" Leah picked up the conversation before Jones's anger could get the better of him with the reporters still so near all them.

"Exactly sir, and I was wondering if this was another initiative of yours that may be-"

"I would be careful what you say Miss Leah," Interrupted the Mayor to all their surprise, his voice now lowered dangerously, no longer bothering with the feign, patient grin "I have a reputation to uphold"

The group of heroes pressed their lips tight together to refrain from shouting out to the world now what a sleaze ball their mayor was. But, somehow, they managed to keep themselves composed, Leah taking the responsibility to reply.

"Yes sir"

"I have no idea what, or who, might be behind the lowering of the crime rates if not law enforcement or the Finest. But, seeing as how crime is literally disappearing in Frank, I don't think it is something we need trouble ourselves over" At the end of his speech, the mayor looked each of them in the eye, meeting the hardened gaze of the people he was black mailing.

"Correct?" None answered him, but when he saw the three heroes lower their gazes, the Mayor let out a smirk. He was about to turn down the hall to go his next scheduled appointment, when his secretary came up beside him.

"Mr. Mayor?" Spoke the timid, mousy woman of forty years.

"Mr Ebol – I mean, the sponsor is here to see you. He says it is urgent" She stumbled over her words as the mayor shot her a very fearsome glare, one missed by the group of Frank's Finest members before the two of them.

"I will be with him in a moment" He told her, not noticing Jones was staring at him through the corner of his eyes, gaze narrowed in suspicion. When the mayor looked up at him though, the cop's visage softened to look uninterested.

"Go relax Jones, take a week off" The mayor offered, his face smiling as he turned to face the doorway of his office right behind him. The doors opened, revealing his spacious office and one of a king view.

"Wouldn't want you to start over thinking things, now do we?" Jones was only partially listening, nodding to feign interest as he looked past the cell's shoulders and observed a figure whose back was turned towards him. The figure was clothed in all white, all, even his hair that trailed down his back in a high set ponytail, the dreads ending at his mid back. Dreads? Seeing that the mayor was waiting for an answer from him, Jones turned his attention back onto him.

"See you around mayor" He smirked out before nodding to his friends that it was time to go. The mayor had revealed more than he probably ever wanted to, thanks to his smug attitude. But for all that though, throughout the course of the day, Jones mind kept wondering back to the image of the turned away 'sponsor', and his pale, dead white figure.

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

MWAHAHAHAHAHA! You guys finally got to see one of my favorite characters for this story! That's right! I love Rachel and Thrax and Zane and so on, but I love villians (hence why I am writing a fic for Thrax, drool…). Anyway, yes, this 'sponsor' is a villain in this story, one that won't be showing his face for a while though. But can you guys guess his identity? I think I gave plenty away for you all to know by now, so come on…

Anyway, the next chapter is already up, and it has plenty of Thrax and Rachel goodness, so enjoy kiddies!

In the five seconds it takes for you to click on the next chapter

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Keep up the heat…


	16. Chapter 16 Reunion

Chapter 16; Reunion:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

I thought up the idea for this chapter while listening to the song **_High School Never Ends_** by **_Bowling for Soup_**. Love the band, and love the song, makes me laugh every time I listen to it, cause, its true!

And, I hope you all are happy. I suffered through a lot of nosebleeds in typing this chapter up. And while it has no lemon per say, it is a splash of lime, my first attempt at it actually. Lots and lots of lime. Gah, when it does come time for the lemon, I fear I may pass out. Mwahahaha, I wonder then what will happen to you guys? ;P

~o0o~

_Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance ~ I have no clue where this quote came from!_

She was nervous, and that was uncommon for her. Then again, it wasn't everyday a girl started her second year of high school six months into the school year due to her mother's health issues. That, and it was not every day an entire cafeteria of teenagers stopped in their gossip to glare at the new girl, making her feel self-conscious for the first time in her life.

Leah just smiled at the crowd that slowly went back to their own devices, leaving her completely ignored for the time being as she wandered through the tables with her tray of food. She needed to find a place to sit, but everything was either filled or its few occupants were most unwelcoming looking.

"Hey, purple. What's with the skirt?" Asked a random girl at one of the tables Leah passed. Knowing that she was speaking to her, the sociable brain cell flashed one of her most charming smiles.

"My mother made it for me. It's styled after the poodle skirt of the-"

"Poodle skirts? OMF, I thought I smelled something a little bitchy around here" The entire table was in an uproar over the crass, and frankly not at all clever, remark of what appeared to be the head of the group of girls. To say the least, Leah walked away as fast as she could; all the while trying to keep her head held high. She thought that this was a prestigious high school that only select intellectuals got to attended, but apparently money and rudeness counted as intelligence here. Finding a table in the farthest corner of the cafeteria that happened to be empty, Leah resigned herself to a miserable lunch hour.

"You jerk-off! You take that back!" Shouted a voice that carried over all, silencing the din.

"Never, you're gonna have to beg!"

"I never beg, but you will! On your knees!"

Two figures, one tall, lean and boyish, the other short, skinny, and somewhat feminine, chased after one another in the cafeteria, not bothered at all that everyone was watching them. As the two continued to weave through the tables though, the others lost interest, apparently familiar with the sight.

Leah though couldn't help but watch as the girl finally caught up with the boy, jumped on his back, and kicked him forward like a horse to be taken right to where she was sitting.

"Beg"

"No"

"Beg"

"Never"

"Beg, or else I'll bite you"

"First off, how childish are you? Second, I don't think I would really mind getting a hickey from such a sweet thing like you"

"You're a perv" Ended the girl teasingly as the strange couple stopped right by the table Leah was sitting at, staring at her confusedly.

"Hey Andrew, what is that thing doing here?" Asked the girl that now Leah could tell was her age, as was the boy, Andrew. She was about to protest to the 'thing' comment, when the boy spoke.

"Ray, don't be so rude. Obviously, that's the new girl everyone is talking about"

"Oh" Said Ray, softer and more friendly than before "Well, she will have to pass the test if she wants to sit at our table" Directing her strangely tinted blue eyes towards the girl who couldn't find herself able to say anything about this odd situation, Ray smirked.

"Okay new girl, think fast. Beach or mountains?" Leah blinked, scrunching her eyes brows in confusion.

"W-what?"

"Answer the damn question" Ray glared, like she was interrogating Leah.

"…beach"

"Good choice" Said Ray, obviously pleased as she nodded "Next; favorite movie?"

Leah took a moment to just blink as she watched the girl dismount her friend to stride up to the table and sit herself right down on top of it. She stated her answer with a smile.

"Edward Silica Hands. Johnny Depp is a total hottie" While Andrew, who was now seated, scrunched up his face in disgust, Ray laughed.

"Very good, very good. Now, leather or tweed?"

"Leather, obviously. Personally I can't think of anything better for a boy to wear. Besides nothing at all, of course" Leah teased. The small girl laughed, quite loud and quite triumphant at Leah's last answer, even slapping her knee some.

"Okay, you can sit here. You've got taste and attitude. I like you" Bluntly put the sapphire colored girl as she leaned down to get a closer look at the very surprised new girl.

"Hey," She whispered, drawing Leah in closer "If you want to get that girl back for trashing you and you're look, I got a jar of honey and a bucket of feathers with her name on it. You in, new girl?"

And then, all worry Leah had about her first day in high school disappeared as she laughed, loud and long and happy…

o0o

"Fuck my life"

"Don't be so down on yourself"

"Fine. Fuck your life then for putting me in this outfit"

"Come on sugar" Said Leah comfortingly, ignoring her friend's childish anger "You look great. No one will even recognize you…hopefully"

Rachel huffed as she blew a lock that got loose of the admittedly nice looking updo Leah had just completed on her, crossing her arms.

"I don't see why I have to come with. I hate everyone from high school. Our classmates, the teachers, hell, even the janitor for that one time he locked me in the school"

"You were napping in broom closet and he was closing the school down for the night. I doubt the nearly blind man thought it funny to lock you in there" Countered Leah as she checked herself over one last time in the mirror of the vanity desk that Rachel had on her level of the hospital of Frank's Finest. She was wearing a tight dark pink dress that reached the curve of her hips just so, the straps of the dress tied behind her neck, exposing a good amount of her back. She wasn't dressing to impress the company they were about to spend an evening with, no, she was dressing for the man that was escorting her there.

"Whatever, I still don't like him. Or anyone else that we're probably gonna see" Muttered Rachel as she stared down at herself, tapping her black, ankle strap heels. She looked okay, she had to admit begrudgingly. But she rather not attend her high school reunion; some nightmares can only be relived once.

"Come on, don't you wanna so those snobs up? Them, only house wives, retired wanna be athletes, mediocre bankers, while you are a forensic pathologist for the city of Frank and are best friends with its district attorney?" Coxed Leah, tuning into Rachel's more vengeful side. It seemed to work, as Ray started making her way towards the spiral stair case.

"How about we just get this over with, huh? Come on, let's grab your lover boy"

Jones let out a long, low whistle as his girl finally came down the stairs, him striding up to meet her at the bottom.

"Leah, girl, you are lookin' _fine_ tonight" He told her as he took her arm in his, suddenly very much okay dressing up in a suit to spend an evening with people he didn't know, just to be the date of the sexiest looking woman in this body. But following her at a close second was her best friend.

"Damn Rachel, you clean up nice! Leah must have worked some miracles tonight" Commented Jones as he saw Ray join him and Leah. She scoffed at his compliment, ignoring him as her eyes unwittingly glanced over to where the only other occupant on the main floor of the hospital was.

Sitting alone, legs crossed and head resting against the back of his couch lazily, sat Thrax. He was gonna have himself a wonderful evening. Jones was going to a party; Golden boy was busy at his desk above, working on some experiment or other while also having to keep both Zane and that pink feline virus busy as a favor to the doctor going out. Oh yeah, a great evening tuning up his racer, fixing himself a drink, maybe enjoy a – Vaccine Almighty, was that Rachel?

Raising his head to get a better view, Thrax instantly canceled all his plans for the night as he looked the good doctor that was across the room up and down. She was wearing a black little number, nice and short. Where sleeves and a neck collar should be though was only sheer material that covered the whole of the very short dress, pretending to be enough to cover the woman's otherwise bare arms, shoulders and collarbone. Topped off with an upswept hair style and very high heels whose straps climbed up shapely legs, the woman Thrax was suddenly quite pleased he had come to target as his main source of entertainment looked too fine to be left alone tonight.

"Well, alright, we got keys, wallets, and a can of mace for Rachel" Spoke out Jones as he wrapped Leah up in her shawl for her, feeling quite gentlemanly tonight.

"Why can't I take my knife instead?"

"Cause killing your high school tormentors doesn't look good on any record. Plus it would clash with the shoes" Retorted Leah as she and Jones made for the door, Rachel grabbing her leather jacket to join them in the car Jones had parked out front for them.

"Ah, come on. I wouldn't kill them. Just, maim, a little. Okay, a lot"

The group laughed, starting to enjoy themselves already on their night off, completely missing that a virus was now nowhere near his couch, and was making towards the garage, thinking about a tight black dress…

o0o

Rachel sighed.

They had been at this party for an hour now, and while the atmosphere of a lantern lit garden was rather enjoyable in the full bloom of spring, the company was anything but. Sure, a few familiar faces that muttered hellos before screaming ecstatically at seeing Leah, class president, valedictorian, and all around miss popular with a handsome boyfriend.

Oh, she wasn't jealous, far from it. She was just bored. Very, very, very bored. She said again.

Wandering over to the buffet that she had before passed up to pretend to mingle, Rachel grabbed herself a plate, sending glares towards the few that looked at her and murmured to themselves. She never liked it when people talked about her behind her back, if they had something to say, they should say it to her face. That way, she could punch them then and there rather than find them later.

Naturally, as she sat herself down to eat, glancing every once in a while towards her friends that were enjoying themselves on the dance floor, Rachel's mind wandered to entertain herself. And the subject it chose to wander to was a most, heated, one.

Thrax.

Oh, what to say about her and Thrax? Just over a week ago, she would have shaken her head to get him out of her thoughts, but now, she welcomed it. Things between them had gotten interesting since that night at the mansion, not physical per say, as Thrax could never really shake off Jones or Drix for very long, but very, very interesting.

Glances when no one was looking, smirks, leers as she passed by him. And their sparring sessions, oh, their sparring. Could it even be called that anymore when the point of their 'exercise' was to just tease rather than score punches and kicks? Maybe, maybe not, but Rachel was enjoying it more than she should. Sure, she felt somewhat guilty for getting her kicks with a killer, but, in the end, he was going to leave this body and she would never have to deal with him again. For now, they would just enjoy what each other had to offer and take what they wanted, a rather wonderful relationship in her mind.

"Hey, Rachel! I haven't seen you around for ages!" Spoke a shrill voice that made Rachel flinch. Watching as a trio of women her own age sat themselves at the table she had claimed for herself, the doctor stared at the girls across from her, genuinely confused.

"Who the hell are you guys?"

"Oh, don't act like you don't remember us! It's me, Ginny, and you have to remember Hannah and Marsha!" Tut-tuted what looked to be the oldest of the women. Ginny, hmm…oh yeah! The girl that used to make fun of her for dressing all in black, and also made fun of Leah's skirts, and also one day was mysteriously drenched in honey and feathers.

"Yeah. I remember now" Replied Rachel with a small smirk, turning back her attention of the plate in front of her.

"How have you been? I heard you became a doctor, good for you! Hey, are you married yet? Oh, I heard that you haven't dated since your break up with Andrew. Shame, you two were quite the couple back in the day. Say, do you know if he is seeing anybody? I hear he is the new assistant to the mayor, and that makes a lot of money, right? I bet it does" Asked the red blood cell that used to be the queen bee of the class in one breath. Rachel felt her jaw go a bit slack in shock, blinking some. Frank it; she needed to bail this party, stat.

"…I, I have to go. I think I left my gag reflex back at home" She muttered as she beat a hasty retreat, uncaring that the cells she left behind were whispering 'how rude' and 'you see that dress, obviously trying to make up for her past fashion by dressing all skanky'.

Drink, drink, where did they keep the drinks?

Grabbing herself a full glass of red wine as a caterer passed by her, Rachel made for the surrounding garden that the party was in the very middle of. She could hear the music perfectly even though she navigated away from the center. Happy that the trees, shrubs, and general flora was tall enough to hide even the party lights, leaving her mostly in moon lit scenery, Rachel felt herself relax for the first time since arriving at the Spinal Gardens.

A particular area caught her eye, a sole, knotted tree surrounded by towering hedges, the branches stretching out like a flowering canopy of blossoms. Walking right up to the tree despite it being off the gravel walk, Rachel sighed contentedly. Sipping the rather delicious wine she still had in her hand, she listened to the music playing off in the distance, swaying her hips some to the beat as she closed her eyes. Ah, alone at la-

"Mmh, please say it's the thought of me that's making your hips sway like that" Spoke a robust, rumbling tone from behind Rachel. She tensed up, and was about to react by bashing her wine glass in the voice's head, when she recognized its owner. Really, how could she not by now? Instead of turning around, she kept still, listening to the sound of heavy footsteps on grass.

"Red? What the hell are you doing here?" Thrax chuckled, watching Rachel as she walked away from him some towards the single tree. She wasn't dumb, she knew why he was here, and she almost felt guilty for being somewhat excited. Almost.

"I snuck out" He simply replied, and even though it was breaking every single one of Jones and Mayor's 'rules', he could tell that Rachel didn't mind so much that he was here. Dare he say, happy even to find something to entertain herself with, as she finally turned to face him, her back leaning up against the trunk of the tree.

"But I could ask you the same thing baby. Why aren't you out with the crowd?" Thrax asked as he stepped forward, his customary jacket billowing out some as a breeze started to shake the thinner branches above them. He really couldn't ask for a better spot, could he?

"It's not the usual company I make a point to keep" Rachel replied as she took one last swig of her wine glass, setting it down on the grass by her feet. She seemed to be completely unflustered, and didn't make any move or sign to tell Thrax to back away. Not that he would, that black dress of hers reeling him in, teasing him.

"Oh?" He quirked at her with a smirk, now only a few feet away from Rachel, but she ignored that as if it was trivial, smirking herself.

"Yeah. Turns out that I can't stand normal, stuck up people and instead prefer the company of pyschos and cops" She then finally looked up to meet Thrax's gaze, her eyes dusted with dark, alluring colors and long lashes, glasses replaced by contacts. The virus's shoulders rolled some as his eyes, which to Rachel seemed to glow in the shadow cast by the branches of the tree, she feeling that old, welcomed spark travel up her spine as those eyes trailed up and down her.

"Glad to hear that baby, cause right now, I really, really, need your _company_" Without any further ado, Thrax closed the distance between them, pressing himself up against her as his hands gripped her hips, claws spreading out to greedily feel as much of her as they possibly could. Rachel's smirk grew as her hands rested themselves on his chest, finally allowed to admire how firm it was, how pleasantly searing.

"It's always right to the point with you, isn't it?" She threw up at him, feeling herself being guided backwards to be trapped between the tree trunk and Thrax's body, completely engulfed by him. Rachel lifted her face, watching and waiting for the kiss that surely was just a few seconds away. But, it never came, instead, a wandering pair of hands firmly gripped the wrists of her own, bring them above her head. Before she knew it, her hands were pinned to the rough bark above, Thrax keeping her still with one hand as the other went back to its wandering.

"Would you prefer if I teased?" He leered out, his claws ever so brushing against her sensitive side, a rumble of satisfaction going through him as he saw her shiver. As much as she seemed to enjoy it, her lips pulled up into a scowl.

"I would prefer if you would quit the dominance bullshit. I'm sick of being pinned up against things by you" She bit out, eyes boring up into Thrax's as he ignored her, flattening his hand out against her stomach. Rachel squirmed as he teased her further by leaning in close, his face against hers, his hot breath deliciously hot in comparison to the surrounding air as he whispered.

"You want to call the shots?"

With that, Rachel felt not only her wrists become free, but also the loss of Thrax's body against hers as he backed away. She watched, about the curse out at all this teasing, when the virus forced her to switch places with him, he leaning up against the tree and she in front of him. His smirk was wide and showed off his teeth, darkly rimmed eyes narrowed amusedly at her.

"Come on then baby, show me what you got" Thrax's long fore-claw beckoned her to him before trying to fidget for a nonexistent chain. Rachel huffed, not liking having to come to him, knowing it was crossing a whole new line for her. If she came to him, then it proved without a shadow of a doubt that she wanted him, that he had finally caught her. But, then again, she did want him. Or at least, what he had to offer her.

No thinking, only feeling and guilty fulfillment.

With a scoff, she stepped forward, and met the gaze of Thrax. Immediately, all frustration went away as she suddenly became at a loss for what to do. It occurred to her that she never really made the first move, in any of her 'romantic' escapades, viral or otherwise. Almost timidly, much to her own aggravation, she placed a hand on the grey clad chest before her. It rested there for just a moment before it was joined by the other, giving Thrax the same treatment he had given her abdomen just a few minutes ago.

Thrax let out a throaty chuckle, immensely enjoying the feeling of her slowly growing bolder hands as they traveled up and down, but only in the smallest degrees. Who would have thought a doctor so shy? He could have even swore she was blushing as she stepped closer, pressing herself up against him as her hands traveled to his shoulders, but he closed his eyes to take in the feel of it all more.

As much as he reveled in the feeling of her curves against his angles, he kept his hands at bay, gripping the tree as he let Rachel take the lead in every sense of the word. He wanted to see what she would do when given free regain, but so far was rather disappointed in how slow she was taking it all. Frustrated was actually the more correct term, especially when he felt her face come closer to his, sensing that she had to stand on the tips of her toes. He was about to chuckle at the thought of her doing such, when he felt a pair of lips take a firm hold of the hollow of his throat, teeth biting down softly. Ah, not as shy as he thought apparently.

It took every bit of Thrax's will power to not throw her to the ground, and take her right then and there. He hadn't had any in months, and for a virus of his, reputation, that was far, far too long. And besides, this fine woman that was now intertwining her fingers in his dreads, an action that finally peeled his hands away from the tree to grip at her hips, was a prize he had worked long and hard for, and couldn't wait to fully claim. Speaking of hard.

Rachel gasped, pulling away from the red tinted neck she had been so wrapped up in caressing as she felt her hips being forced closer to the lower half of Thrax, his hands having a firm grip on them. With a strength she knew that could overtake her on a whim, he forced her to grind against him, leaving no mystery as to how he wanted her as she felt everything. _Everything_.

Her head rolled back as her eyes shut themselves tight, teeth clenching down hard to keep a pleasured moan silent. It escaped however, when Thrax once more forced her hips against him again, attacking her neck with teeth and tongue. Her ire raised some as she felt him smirk against her skin, but she traded the urge she had to punch him by instead gripping her hands tighter in his long dreads, pulling some.

Thrax hissed as he backed away from the neck he was working on to glare down at Rachel, seeing her smirk up at him with that ever so defiant look. Repaying her by gripping her hips harder as he gave an unabashed thrust forward, he felt recompensed as her head once more rolled back in relish at the friction between their lower halves, she finally letting a moan out willingly.

Both of their holds on the other still firm, the two went met half way into a kiss, the second shared between them. Unlike before, when Rachel had no time, not to mention mind, to respond, she relished in the way he overtook her, lips firm and almost harshly demanding. She felt a flash of heat work its way up her back, and she thought it was that troublesome spark, only to find out that it was Thrax's claws, trailing patterns up and down, up and down her spine. She shivered, though she was far, far from cold.

Thrax let out a low, pleased growl as he felt Rachel chest start to pant up in down for want of air, her covered breasts brushing against him with every breath. Gently, he slid his tongue over her lips, the skin soft and giving. But when she did not part to allow him inside, his growl of pleasure turned into one of frustration. She was denying him what he wanted, something that normally would be reciprocated with a quick death. But for her…

Rachel knew that the virus was not happy that she was teasing him, but when she heard that low, feral sound at his irritation, she waited with great anticipation to see what he would do. Thrax pulled back, his expression playfully sinister as he glared down at her, and her eyes couldn't help but widen in alarm.

A flash, she was pinned against the very tree Thrax had been leaning against. She let out a gasp at the rough feeling of the bark, and nearly shrieked as the virus's hands worked under her dress to grip at her bare thighs, his teeth on her neck, biting hard. She knew she should be angry that he went back to his overly dominant ways, but as every part of her began to writhe as he bite up closer to her jaw, she decided to let it go, finally giving Thrax the opening he had been looking for as her lips parted to groan.

There was nothing gentle as Thrax claimed her mouth, rough and demanding to a near suffocating degree. Rachel didn't even stand a chance as his long tongue explored every part of her, getting to know the woman's mouth that tasted pleasantly of wine very well. As overwhelmed as she was, Rachel was urged on by the sound of Thrax's growl to take part. Not without her own skills, the sapphire cell's hands found their way under the virus's sweater, thumbs moving in circles similar to the movement of her tongue. The two, now very, very, very much enjoying themselves began a game of groans and governance in their kiss, Rachel's hands drifting higher and higher-

"Well, well, well. Returning to our roots are we Rachel?" Spoke out a voice, snapping Rachel out of her enjoyment. Spying a very hated grey cell smirking in a expensive tweed suit but a few yards from the tree she and Thrax were under, she sneered. She had forgotten where she was, and also, who of her many annoyances assuredly would be attending the high school reunion.

"Andrew" She spoke venomously as she pushed Thrax away, an action made rather difficult in his reluctance to stop, even with the now revealed presence of a third, unwelcomed party. Straightening her dress as much as she could, Rachel started malevolently at Andrew as her face flushed with indignity. Damn bastard was smirking.

"Oh, don't let me stop you two. Jones and Leah were just wondering where their hard working and _trusting_ friend went" The tone he took told Rachel that he had no intention of telling the others just what he had got her doing and who with, mostly because he couldn't care less, but she did catch the hint of smugness that he had yet something else to hold over her head. She held her anger, but shame for what she had allowed, no, wanted, started to creep in.

"And I'm sure that you only wanted to be a good friend and help out" Rachel bit back as she crossed her arms, Thrax just smirking as he watched the flash of anger and smugness between the two cells.

"Of course" Smiled Andrew, taking a step forward, seemingly unafraid of the virus whose pleasant experience he interrupted "And like a good friend, I won't bother telling you how twisted your choice in men is"

At this, he stopped, pondering for a moment before a cruel sneer came to life.

"But then again, for defected Viscel, I guess that is only to be expected"

Rachel flinched at the term that was unfamiliar to Thrax, though he thought he might have heard it before. Whatever it meant, it worked up the woman in the most fearsome way, her hands clenching as if itching to claw out a couple of throats, but she somehow resisted. Though obviously upset, Rachel chuckled.

"Whatever. At least I'm not the mayor's personal bitch" Andrew chuckled, turning around to leave the two of them behind. But not without one last comment, gesturing back at Thrax with a smirk that, to the both of them, seemed to mixed with bitterness and sadness.

"No. You're just his"

A smash of glass echoed out through the garden as the wine glass Rachel had set down earlier collided with the place Andrew's head had been before he had turned away down a corner that led him out of sight. Even in the dimness of night and the space between them, Thrax could see Rachel's whole body shaking in fury, her eyes seeming to flash red in anger.

"I said it once before; you show me where that guys lives and I'll take care both our troubles" He offered after a minute of watching her, interested in this reaction. Interested, but he didn't like it. In a way, the grey cell was right; she was his, at least in his possessive mind. And as such, he didn't like it when his stuff got damaged or insulted, as Rachel obviously was.

"He ain't worth it" She muttered after a minute, her hands trying to fix up her updo that had gotten disheveled some in her now regretted actions.

"What did he mean by defected?" Thrax continued, curious, but also wanting to see if he could calm the woman down some. So as to continue what the tweed wearing bastard interrupted of course.

"I, I'm not like other cells" Rachel answered after a moment, almost whispering. Though she wanted nothing more than to leave this party and drown herself in some sort of alcohol, she thought it might just be better, not to mention healthier, to just talk. Even if her partner in conversation was a virus that she knew didn't really care.

"I am a white blood cell, at least, partially" She sighed, walking back to the tree to lean herself up against it, somewhat tired now after all that happened. At Andrew's taunts, unpleasant memories of her years alone at orphanages and in high school came back, and so did the prejudice she met.

"When I was born, something, didn't go right. And I my genes ended up getting mutated" At this, she held a hand out in front of her, Thrax walking over to get closer. Her fingers moved, she watching as if it was by a foreign force rather than by her own will.

"I can't morph like Jones, and because of that, I couldn't join the force like my mom" Thrax's eyes widened in surprise at her confession, blinking some at her openness. Glancing her over, he came to the realization of the obvious.

She was different from other cells, he had never seen her morph, and her skin was colored a shade darker than the typical white cell, her eyes an obvious obsidian blue. He never noticed, he never took the time too. Before Thrax could identify the uncomfortable feeling that overcame him as he watched the melancholy woman, her mood changed suddenly as she chuckled.

"Bastards used to pick on me, some going so far as to get, rough. But I would like to see them try to get rough with me now, or try to solve a murder with nothing but a single strand of DNA" At her smirk, Thrax chuckled back, stepping closer until he was leaning right next to her on his side. She was different, she had been taunted for it, still was. He recalled how she once told him that the only thing she regretted was her birth, which obviously was the very cause of her difference, and yet here she was, smirking in pride and fury. No wonder he found himself so fascinated by her.

"Mmh, one of a kind" He muttered, pleased that he, a rare specimen himself, had managed to find a creature similar to him, even if that creature was a cell doctor with some scraps of morals left in her. Not wanting said morals to ruin his fun though, especially as he looked over the red marks he left all over her neck and her swollen lips, Thrax decided to regain in Rachel's attention.

A certain clawed hand started to trace up the curve of a certain thigh, causing a certain woman to gaze up in surprise at a certain virus.

"Now, where were we baby? Before we were so rudely interrupted?" Thrax mused out loud, though it seemed to Rachel as if he was speaking to himself, his eyes trained on her lips. A second of hesitance tugged at her mind in memory of the shame she felt just moments ago, but the stronger pull of desire for the moments that happened before the shame made up her mind for her.

"Oh yes, I remember now" Purred the virus as he bent down, recapturing the lips of a woman whose kiss managed this time to be just as rough and demanding as his own, welcoming the pleasure that made her forget much…

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Hehe, well, how did you guys like this latest chapter? Hm? Hehe, I got to admit, what took me so long to post was not writer's block, but the embarrassment of having to write smut for the first time (not that I didn't enjoy it, oh no!). But please tell me how I did! I was hoping that it was detailed, but not to an annoying degree. Anyway, stick around kiddies, cause things are gonna get hotter (yes, they will, mwahahahaha!)

Well then, that's all for now, same time hopefully, defiantly same place. Till then…

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Keep up the heat…


	17. Chapter 17 Mysterious Ways

Chapter 17; Mysterious Ways:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, eventual lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

Hiya! Really long time, no see! And I am sorry for that! I just want to reassure everybody that I will never abandon this story! Never! Updates might take painfully long time sometimes (like this…sigh…again, sorry!), but I shall never stop this story until we reach its end! And what an end it will be! Anyhoo, I'm gonna be working on this fic for a while to make up for the absence, so you'll be hearing from me soon hopefully! I love you all for your supportive comments that made me want to come back to this story and continue to tale of the characters I love! Enjoy!

~o0o~

_Things are not always what they seem; outward form deceives many; rare is the mind that discerns what is carefully concealed within ~ Phaedrus 40 A.D._

He was irritated. He was pent up, and tried time and time again to find a way to release his frustration, only to be interrupted.

And she was loving every minute of it.

Rachel, now finished with work and enjoying a meal of greasy take out with the boys, watched the virus sitting down next to her from the corner of her eyes. She smirked as she leaned over to grab at another egg roll, her arm purposefully brushing against Thrax's leg as she moved.

He stiffened, but then growled lowly, Rachel the only one hearing the frustrated sound. Frank, how she loved teasing him.

It had been a glorious two weeks since that fateful night at the Frank Botanical Gardens, where she and Thrax finally managed to step up their, for lack of a better word, relationship. Sadly though, somewhat heavy petting was as far as they got, as Rachel needing to find Jones and Leah before they came looking for her.

And that had been it. Jones and Drix were unmerciful, unwittingly denying Thrax the time he wanted with a certain doctor by being around him or her at all times. Even their sparring sessions had become less frequent, thanks to a rather heavy inflow of dead bodies that needed Rachel's attention. Besides that, nothing. No touching, and certainly, no lengthy make outs.

As disappointed as she herself was that her new found desire was being starved, Rachel couldn't help but turn the tables on the virus that had for so long kept her on edge. Now, it was her turn. With an almost giddiness to it all, she came up with some ideas a week ago in ways she could pay back Thrax, and executed them all perfectly.

First, she came downstairs for breakfast one morning wearing nothing but a short, oriental blue robe, a gift from a dear person to her that was constantly traveling. Pretending not to notice a certain pair of yellow eyes watching her, Rachel innocently sipped her coffee, not bothering to readjust the robe as it ever so fell off her shoulders.

Next up, after a long day of working in her lab, she came back to the scrounge lounge, and wearing a pair of low riding jeans and high cropped shirt, bent over to give Zane much needed attention while the virus but three feet behind her got none. The following day though was quite the crowning achievement, as she managed to leave the sauna on the gym floor in nothing but a towel, Thrax stopping in his one sided fight against a punching bag to watch her walk up to her own floor, skin glistening from the steam.

And now, she was licking the grease of the shared dinner from her fingers slowly, savoring. The action didn't bring Jones or Drix's attention onto her, but it made Thrax's hands clench in pure frustration. It had been a long time since she had been able to enjoy herself like this, longer still since thoughts about what the virus and she longed to do to each other constantly went through Rachel's mind like when she had first discovered the few joys males could offer her.

Feeling no shame what so ever as a fantasy of not so innocent origins flittered across her thoughts, Rachel turned her attention, as best as she could, back onto her meal.

It wasn't before long that a cell phone rang out, Jones diving into his coat pocket to pull it out. Grunts and yes' were muttered, the cop becoming more and more annoyed as the conversation went on. Finally, hanging up to see that every one's attention was on him, the cop sighed.

"The mayor has just assigned a new chore for us" Groans and eye rolling abounded.

"What's it this time? Washing his car?" Asked Rachel as she fed Zane her left overs, a small smile growing as the huge beast began to purr as she stroked his ear.

"I wish. He wants us to spend the night in the Spheniod Mansion"

"What? That old, run down shack?"

"No, that old, huge, expensive, haunted, run down shack" Jones corrected Rachel, making her scoff as she tossed Zane more left overs.

"Why does he want us to do that?"

"Rumor says that the 'haunting' of the place is really traps set up by the last owner. This old guys just went a little too crazy in his final years, and had the whole placed rigged to fight against those who tried to take the place after he died. That, or his ghost is wandering around, not really sure how the legend goes. Mayor wants us to see if this rumor is true, so he can either sell the place for a bundle or tear it down" Explained Jones, already getting himself up. The others, with groans and growls, followed suit.

"Investigating a haunted house? What's next? Find freakin' Big Foot?" Grumbled Ray as she marched upstairs to pack an overnight bag.

o0o

The music of some rap artist or other beat low through the car, Jones bobbing his head in rhythm as he drove up the highway, chatting with Drix riding shot gun.

Good thing the music was loud, or else Thrax's growls of pure frustration might have been heard. She was teasing him again, like she had done every day for the past week, getting more and more bolder.

Normally, he would have welcomed her little games, especially since she had taken to enjoy pursuing him so.

But, normally, he would be able to reciprocate, and not worry about being interrupted by a damned cop and cold pill that always managed to get on his nerves.

Especially now, with Rachel's jean covered leg was pressing up against his, shifting every once in a while to nudge against him, she looking out the window as if not knowing what she was doing. She knew, and she was enjoying every minute of it. The instant he got her alone, she was going to pay for every single agonizing moment she put him through, with interest.

Well, on the positive side, all this aggravation had managed to get him one step further in one of his other goals. He managed to burn something with his infectious powers. A wrench, while he was in the garage, not a trace to be left of the object in his hand. It brought him no pain for several minutes, and though he was still far from building up immunity to the antibodies, he was making noticeable progress.

Still didn't take the edge off, him trying to pull himself away from Rachel's leg in an attempt to resist taking the bait of her tease with Jones and Golden Boy so close by. But she didn't let up, her foot then nudging the back of his calf, her fingers drumming in feign boredom against the window.

Thank Frank they finally arrived at the 'haunted mansion'.

The outside of the place was what you would typically expect an elitist home to look like. White marble walls, Corinthian columns, and two stories that supported stained glass windows. After slipping through some very intimidating iron bar fencing, and walking through a creaky old door way, the gang was inside. While the outside looked nice and trimmed, the inside was the complete opposite.

Place looked like something from a horror movie, covered in cobwebs, dust, furniture hidden underneath white sheets. Every nook and cranny, through dusty beyond belief, was molded of the most expensive materials available, hinting at the home's glory days.

"Damn! Digs on the master bedroom!" Called out Jones, his voice echoing in the gigantic foyer. Drix rolled his eyes, coming to close the circle the four formed.

"It would be best to split up. One team take the second floor, the other the first" He proposed.

Though he wouldn't say a word about who he wanted to be paired with, Thrax's eyes drifted over towards the only one wearing a pair of tight jeans, punk boots, tight tube top, and glasses. Damn that woman. It was a red top too, ending at the end of her ribs. Damn her.

"Drix, you and Rachel take the bottom, me and ugly here are gonna take the top" Announced Jones, patting Drix on the back as he was met by nods and grunts.

"Why the fuck do we even need to go wandering around here?" Protested Rachel as she tossed the backpack she packed, wanting to either go home and play with Zane, or fix it so she got some alone time to play with a certain virus…no, now was not the time.

"We need to prove that the rumor is false of course" Answered Drix, Rachel chuckled.

"Or, we could not, and let the mayor fall down a trap door when he comes strutting in to buy the place" The others chuckled at the mental image, until Rachel, wandering over to slump on a couch, caught her foot on a trip wire.

Never before had she been so grateful for Thrax's sparring sessions that increased her reaction time, or else the axe that flew from the booby trap would have taken her head. In shocked silence, the gang looked at the weapon that was now buried deep into the wall closest to them.

"Right, you said me and Drix take bottom and you and Red take top? I, I think I can do that…"

o0o

"So, how are you and little Miss Abigail getting along?"

"We plan on going to the movies next week together"

"Oh? That's nice. Anything else going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"For Frank's sake Drix, have you at least kissed the woman yet?"

"I don't see why we need to discuss my personal life in the middle of an investigation!" Protested Drix, uncomfortable as Rachel chuckled at him. All the tension that had pressured Rachel from before seemed to lift off her to him, work no longer bothering her as it used to. Maybe she picked up a new hobby? Whatever it was, she seem to smirk more, even laugh more too, as she was now as she lectured that a woman like Abby would eventually want to know how much she was desired.

"I mean, at least give her a good fu-"

"Miss Rachel!" Drix interrupted, but upon seeing her smirk, chuckled to himself. She was teasing him, apparently feeling rather playful for some reason as the two of them continued down the long hall way that winded through the maze that was the first floor.

Thank goodness there were only two floors, it was a friggin' labyrinth of dark wood doors that led to more dark wood doors, the various rooms dusty but extravagant. Again, just like the horror movies Rachel was so fond of, which if she was more suspicious, she wouldn't have allowed Jones to split them up. That's what always killed people in the movies.

"As interesting the topic of my new found love life is, how have you been? We haven't really ever had a moment to ourselves of late" Spoke Drix, polite and formal as usual. Rachel shrugged her shoulders.

"Can't complain"

"You seem happy. Well, I mean, happier than usual. Have you perhaps picked up a new hobby of some sorts-"

With that, Drix was gone. Swallowed up by a trap door beneath him in the hall way, the carpeting going with him.

"Drix! Drix! Frank damn it!" Rachel shouted, pounding against the now closed flooring, trying to pry it open so as to help her friend. Seeing that it would not be opening again anytime soon, Rachel grabbed out her cell phone from her leather jacket, and dialed for Jones.

"Yo, Jones, got a problem here!"

"Funny, was about to call and tell you the same thing!" Spoke Jones from the other side of the cell, sounding just as freaked, but professionally calm, as Ray.

"What happened? You okay?"

"Yeah, not so sure about Thrax though" Rachel flinched a bit as she started tracing her steps back to the foyer they spilt up in, wanting to get out into open space.

"Is he hurt?" She found herself asking worriedly.

"I have no clue, first he was calling me stupid, I was calling him ugly, he leans up against a wall, then whoosh! He was gone!"

"Same thing happened to Drix, except floor" Rachel made it back to the foyer, and did not like what she saw. Axes, a lot of them, were swinging around everywhere from thick steel wires. Okay, this was just getting ridiculous.

"Whoa! Whoa, wait a minute! Drix just shot out of the ceiling!"

"What?!"

"Yeah, yeah he's okay! Hey, go back to where he left, maybe Thrax will be there now! Just you guys hunker down somewheres, I'm gonna call Abigail. Maybe her and her crew can get us out of here alive. Holy spit! It's a flamethrower, it's a flamethrower!"

With that, Rachel was on her own, worried, but not to the point of letting it impede her. Stuffing the cell phone back inside her pocket, the sapphire cell took off to head back to where Drix disappeared, glad that he was alright, but starting to be a bit concerned about a certain virus, much to her own aggravation.

She walked for what felt like ages down the long hall that twisted this way and that, coming to realize that she should have come to the spot Drix had disappeared a long time ago. Everything in the hall way all looked the damned same! Rachel was about to call it quits and call Jones, when of course, something happened.

Something landed on her.

Something heavy, and wearing a long black jacket.

"Fuck…I can't…breathe…get off me…" Whispered Rachel from underneath the mass that made her drop to the floor, her vision going from spotted to kaleidoscope. The thing on top of her didn't seem all that well off either, but unlike Ray, managed to move and grumble. It was, of course, Thrax, swearing that he would pay the mayor back, bruise for bruise.

Curses were muttered by both as the surprised and still recovering virus and cell straightened themselves up. But, whereas Thrax was instantly back to his smirking self as he looked over the dishelmed state of the doctor before him, Rachel hissed and grabbed at her leg.

"Damn it Red, you made me twist my ankle" Looking down, Thrax glanced at the ankle Rachel was complaining about, face scowling as she continued to mumble and blame him.

"Why is this always happening to me? Things never happened before you showed your mug around this body!" Accused Rachel as she tried to move, but grimaced when she tried to put weight on her foot. Thrax, in no mood for this from having all his patience taken from him thanks to Jones incessant chatter, rolled his eyes.

"I was never shot at, never chased, and certainly never pummeled to the ground constantly – Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Shouted Rachel as Thrax scoped her up, tossing her over his shoulder as he started walking.

"Getting you to a place for you to prop that foot up so you'll shut up" Thrax explained, and Rachel could practically hear the smirk in his tone as his arm kept her pinned to his shoulder, she grabbing fistfuls of his coat to keep herself upright.

"Jones said to stay put until back up came, you dumb ass. Now put me down" She growled, only to be responded with a hard jostle as Thrax only secured her to his shoulder even more, her hips right on his shoulder.

The virus chuckled as the woman held continued to struggle while he continued down the long hallway. Ignoring the protests of the woman slung over his shoulder, Thrax kept going until he found a door that looked promising. Kicking it open with ease, he made his way in to the dark room.

Like everything else in this damned place, it was large, holding the finest in way of dusty extravagance, cobwebs hanging from the profligate embellishings. Walls covered with book occupied shelves, the room must have at one point been a proud library, now only a place for a swearing doctor to be tossed down on one of the grubby divans.

"Ouch! Damn it Red!" Shouted Rachel as she cradled her ankle, scowling up at the virus that was smirking down at her.

Immediately, she was silenced. She knew that look.

Certain facts came to light that she somehow was able to overlook when Thrax carried her and tossed her down. One, she was helpless with a sore ankle. Two, Jones and Drix weren't coming anytime soon. And three, Thrax, whom she had been teasing relentlessly for a whole week, finally was alone with her.

Oh, this was not going to end well. Or, possibly very, very well. Either way, she was in trouble.

"You've got some explaining to do baby" Spoke the virus as he leaned over the half of the divan that Rachel was propped up on her elbows, she doing her best to keep her eyes locked with Thrax's.

"For what?" She asked snippily. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of playing innocent; she just didn't care if she teased him. Which, she didn't, but right now she really wanted to know the outcome of her efforts.

"You know what I'm talkin' about" Thrax snipped back, seemingly getting angry. In the back of mind, Rachel wondered why she was delaying what he, as well as she, wanted. But, then again, she did wonder what the virus would do when angry…

"I do, do I? Well, for your information Red, we are on a case now" Rachel told him as she outright ignored the fact that Thrax was leaning down closer, one arm holding the back of the divan to support him, towering over and trapping Rachel.

"And?" Thrax growled lowly, making the one word sound like a threat as his face hovered over the doctor's by just a foot.

"And anything of a personal nature will just have to wait until after the case. So you can go jerk off in a corner while I nurse the ankle you twisted" Rachel bit back. It was true, while she did enjoy teasing him, she didn't exactly want him to feel welcome to come looking for her to relive himself of his pent up frustrations. But obviously, that's not what the virus was thinking.

A chuckle, almost too low and quiet to be heard, came from Thrax as his eyes narrowed.

"I bet I could make you change your mind"

Rachel tried to suppress the damned spark that tore through her and made her shiver when it ran its course, but like usual, couldn't keep it hidden from the know it all virus whose smirk grew wider at the evidence of his effective threat. Now she was in trouble.

With that, Thrax leaned down to finally close the space between them, but instead of making for her lips like she guessed, he sat down beside her.

Well, that was unexpected.

Turning away from her on the divan, he gently took a hold of the ankle she was propping up already. She didn't want to ask him what he was doing, already too confused to speak, but swore out as he quickly removed her boot.

"Damn it Red!" Thrax only chuckled as he threw the shoe away, proceeding to roll up the cuff of her jeans to free the pressure from the tender ankle. He continued on then, further shocking Rachel, as his claws busied themselves with only fiddling with the seam of her jeans as he went on the remove the other shoe.

Soon enough, her feet were free, and she now expected that trouble she had been anticipated, only to have the virus disappoint her. Slowly, dragging his gaze back to Rachel's glare, Thrax removed his coat, gently folding it with care before setting it on the ground. Ray didn't think that gentle was in the virus's vocabulary, let alone that he could handle anything without a twist of rough.

Imagine her surprise then when Thrax continued this hand with care treatment as he took a hold of Rachel's legs only to stretch them across his lap, leaning back against the side of the divan to get comfortable.

And…that was it. Thrax's hands were clasped behind his head, his eyes closed as he completely ignored the confused and confounded woman beside him.

Son of a botchulism, this was his pay back. He was denying what not only he wanted, but she too. And he knew it. And she was going to have to be the first to move. With the only other time they actually got to it, Thrax, though giving her the reins for a while, was the one that put things in motion. Now it looked like it was up to her.

It should have disturbed her that she was walking into a trap of embarrassment, as no doubt this was meant to humiliate her for her tricks. It should have disturbed her how she had changed so quickly from enjoying just being chased after to chasing. But really, she was too sexually frustrated to find anything disturbing right now.

Ankle feeling fine now compared to her annoyance and building appreciation to a jacketless Thrax, Rachel shifted herself until she was comfortable straddling the virus's lap, shedding off her own jacket. One, lazy yellowed eye slowly opened, and a smirk grew on the virus at the glare that was placed right in front of him, inches away.

"Well now baby, what's the matter?" Thrax asked as his brow quirked, his voice slick with amusement. As her answer, Rachel's glare grew sterner, silently accusing him.

She didn't want gentle from him. She never wanted gentle from him. Gentle reminded her of her near firsts with Andrew, gentle wasn't enough to distract her, to make her forget and for once in her life feel good despite everything she had to put up with. And suddenly, just for kicks, the virus she had come to depend on for rough entertainment was being…gentle?

"Damn you to hell" Rachel finally told him, meaning every bit of her curse. The virus appeared to understand that she meant it, but only chuckled.

"Too late baby"

And with that, Rachel lowered herself to meet Thrax in a demanding kiss. Though it seemed he was more than willing to ignore her for the sake for getting even, the virus was just as eager, if not more so, to take advantage of the moment alone that was given to them. His touch, shockingly gentle before, was now as forceful and challenging as Rachel reveled it to be as one hand grasped at her hair while the other slide down her back.

Settling down further into his lap, Rachel let her arms drape themselves over Thrax's shoulders, trying to draw in breaths on the rare occasion he would allow her too. She felt her chest push up against his own, the hand he had traveling down her back stopping to clench at her pitiful excuse for a shirt. Obviously, he wanted her to do that again. And as to be expected, she denied him.

It was hard, when it came right down to it. Whether it was the breaking down of each other's pride or the actual touches themselves, neither of them would be able to choose which of the two was more enjoyable for them. This time around, it was Rachel's turn to smirk as Thrax's hand traveled lower, trying to persuade her to brush against him again by tracing unknown patterns on the small of her back. When she did nothing more than allow him access past her lips to deepen the kiss, Thrax took both his hands to grasp shamelessly at her backside and force her closer.

She had to pull back from the kiss in order to let out a quiet gasp, but it was cut short thanks to Thrax moving on from her lips to her neck, a low groan that could have been a growl ghosting hot breath over her skin. Rachel herself felt a delighted whimper escape her, and her hands moved from Thrax's shoulders to grip at his dread locks almost out of reflex.

Rachel could feel Thrax lift his head to look at her, but she kept her eyes shut, not really wanting to see the no doubt playfully sinister expression he had on. She didn't want to spoil anything he was planning to do next. When he just continued to stay still, Rachel felt a little of her overly gigantic pride cave in a bit as she leaned forward to press her chest against his own to give him what he originally wanted, her lips finding the sharp cheeks of the virus.

Preoccupying herself with nipping and grazing with tongue down the side of his face until she reached his taunt neck, Rachel purposely ignored the fact that Thrax hands were now sliding underneath her top, forcing the fabric to ride up. She could feel each and every single tip of his claws as he finally reached the clasp of her bra, and for a moment Rachel could feel herself stiffen up.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, was a reminder of just how wrong this whole situation was. How wrong it was for her to be doing this, with him. The virus didn't seem to notice her hesitation as he continued to peel her top off, forcing her to lift her arms for him to toss it aside, and Rachel was glad of that. For his leer made her forget that she should be disgusted that she was allowing him to trace his gaze and hands of her now barely covered breasts.

Thrax looked up to hold Rachel's stare as he finally reached the desired destination. Ray felt herself relaxing from her minute of guilt as, with that shocking gentleness from before, Thrax grazed the sides of the fabric that was hiding what he most wanted to see at this moment. But for some reason, he seemed to be holding himself back, thinking. After being subjugated to the teasing touches that forced her breaths to come out as slow pants, whatever Thrax had been thinking finally came into play as Rachel kept her eyes on his.

One hand left the soft curves of her chest to be placed once more at the small of Rachel's back, and her slightly dazed stare turned into a glare as she felt the other push her back. But seeing that look still on Thrax, she decided, for lack of a better word, to trust him. Everything he had done so far had served her desire in the long run, and she wanted to see where he would take this.

Pushed until she was solely dependent on the hand he had placed on her back for balance, Rachel's chest and stomach was arched before Thrax. And that seemed to be exactly what he wanted. Her hands forced to grip at the fabric of his sweater to maintain some sense of control in this situation, Ray was then willingly made at the mercy of the virus as his free hand slowly drew itself over the expanse of skin presented.

Thrax wanted to feel every bit of the woman he had worked so hard to gain. Though a virus of a dangerous nature, ladies naturally came to him. Maybe it was his magnetic charm or rugged good looks, either way, he didn't care. But with Rachel, she was almost as hard as one of his goals of medical book fame. He had worked, and now it was time to reap. Working within a strict set of patterns known only to him, he drew his hand over the neck, chest, and stomach of the woman that was obviously trying to resist closing the distance he set between them. But he wouldn't let her, not yet. He wanted to watch her squirm. He wanted what he worked for to work for him, even if just a little bit.

And did she ever squirm. Girl was barely able to stay in his lap. Now with the goal of having her dance for him until she was on the floor, Thrax allowed Rachel closer, letting her greedy fingers clasp at his dreads.

Ray had sex before. She wasn't ignorant nor was she innocent. Not completely at any rate. Her first time was a drunken experience she barely could remember sometime after Andrew dumped her. It was just some desperate hope to forget him and move on that she had forever regretted. With that being a disappointment, she tried again some years later with a couple night stands with a coworker who was admittedly handsome and somewhat not annoying. That was also, in the end, a disappointment as he wanted to start a relationship with her. Intimacy was never really Rachel's strong suit.

But this…this was driving her deliciously crazy. His mixing touches of light traces to digging his claws to leave surface scratches of red like some twisted drawing. The way he made her feel, well, this was what desire really was. And this was just foreplay to the virus. Imagine…

With what was to hopefully come in mind, Rachel couldn't stand the thought of Thrax still fully clothed while she was practically trying to writhe out of the rest of hers. Grasping the hem of his sweater rougher than need be, she began to pry the material off of him. Soon enough, the grey cloth was lying rumbled next to the red top Thrax had removed not so long ago.

To her shame, all Rachel was able to do was stare.

She had touched Thrax before, when he was wounded from the fight during the animal fights case. And while he did make her blush then, it was more at the thought of what he was thinking rather than that she was touching.

But now, to accompany her deep, slow inhale, a peek of red started up on her cheeks. Thrax must have seen, for he was chuckling now. She caught the humor in his eyes and was about to say something bitingly sarcastic, when Thrax took a hold of both her hands.

"Go on," He told her, Rachel feeling the rumble of his voice as he placed her hands on his chest "have fun, baby"

Rachel needed no further invitation.

The scars that had once mesmerized her with the thought of the constant fight that was the virus's life, Rachel was now following the curves and bends of each, trying to keep their number in her mind only to be overwhelmed. As she explored slowly, Thrax drew closer to place open mouth kisses along the expanse of her neck, making her lose count as relaxed and stiffened simultaneously at the rocking up of his hips against hers. Friction, was it supposed to feel this good?

Fingers done roaming, she settled them on the wide girth of Thrax's upper torso, a smirk growing as an idea came to mind. One hand traveled back to grasp at the dark locks of the virus only to then gently pull him away from the over stimulated nerves of her neck. Thrax sent her something of a glare as she gently persuaded him to lean back against the side of the divan, allowing her to out of curiosity. And then, she surprised him.

A soft chuckle was barely heard over the low groan Thrax let out through clenched teeth as Rachel placed her lips on the red skin of the chest in front of her. Grabbing at her hips to try to bear her down towards his own again, Ray denied the friction Thrax was wanted to have accompany the feel of her lips as she traced over the scars she had previously felt with fingers and palms with her tongue. Sliding herself back to make room as she went further down, she could feel Thrax's claws digging into her sides, making her need to pause to let the familiar spark tear through her.

Seeing this as an opportunity, Thrax yanked Rachel back to his face, pressing her flush against him to prevent her from ever doing that again. That, what she just did, was an incredibly dangerous idea. He nearly had his infectious powers slip away from him, her pressing lips feeling so damned good to make him almost let go. Thrax wasn't willing to say that he never had an experience with a woman like this before, but with the long absence of acting on desire with how hard he waited and worked for this female, it was defiantly one of his better ones.

She just felt so damn alive. It was intoxicating.

Noticing that he was only holding her a breath away from his face, staring, Thrax closed the distance with a kiss. He growled in pleasure as she fought to keep up and ground her hips against his when he felt her small hands dig roughly into his scalp. Oh how he wanted her. His hands clenched at her backside, quick to then try to unhook the clasp of her bra while impatient lips took over her own. His movements lacked any sort of delicate nature, as he never had a concern for being romantic. And that was just fine by Ray. This was the Thrax she knew. This was the Thrax she…

In the silence that echoed their heavy pants and groans, a low, almost weeping moan broke through the room. Thrax pulled to look at Rachel incredulously.

"Well now baby, I know I'm good. But if you keep moanin' like that, Jones and Golden Boy are gonna think something goin' on in here and might get curious" He told her with a laugh. Noticing that she wasn't returning his stare, but instead observing something over his shoulder with wide, almost fearful eyes, Thrax's chuckle died.

"That…wasn't…me…" He heard Rachel whisper as he turned to face whatever she was staring at.

You ever see something move out of the corner of your eye when traveling down the hall at night? That spike of adrenaline that rips through you at the thought that something, something not of the happy realms of imagination exist?

Well, that was staring Thrax and Rachel in the face at this moment. A specter of eerie, wispy light was glaring at them blankly, somewhat resembling an elderly old man of a cell, eyes dead.

"Well, looks like hell has come to finally meet me" Muttered Thrax, not really aware of what he was saying.

Thankfully for their sanity, the shared delusion lasted only a few seconds, as the swish of a cutting blade came to Rachel's attention.

"Look out!" She screamed as she grabbed at Thrax's shoulders while her legs pushed against the back of the divan. As ungracefully as possible, the virus was thrown to the floor, the white blood cell acting as a soft shield against the dusty ground for him as he once more fell on top of her.

The crunch of cotton and wood being split sounded out from the spot Thrax's head had been at not just a few seconds before. It was another death trap, this one a now stuck, but still intimidating blade whose trigger Rachel was willing to chuck up to just about anything. For the moment though, it looked like no more swords were to follow, and she let out a shuttering breath at the near decapitation experience.

"First off, fuckin' hell, this place is twisted. Second," Rachel let out slowly as she forced her adrenaline to level out, a genuine grin spreading on her face "you owe me your life, cause Red, I just saved your ass!"

"What for?"

The question caught her off guard, and she looked over the expression the virus now lifting himself off of her had on. It was…curious, and almost, confused. Like he was a little lost. It wasn't like Thrax to be lost; confused maybe, but lost? She shook her head, obviously he would bit miffed after what happened, which even she was not really willing to talk about. Cause, come on, ghosts? There were something not even she was willing to buy into, even if she had just seen something, rather unexplainable.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She asked with a chuckle of relief as she realized that her ankle wasn't made any worse than it had been before from the first time the virus landed on her. Ray sat herself up, leaning back on her elbows.

"You risked your neck for me"

Somehow, just somehow in his own way, Thrax made that simple statement sound like an act of treason. A threat. Like Rachel had just crossed a line she wasn't aware of and she now needed to know the consequences. True, in a manner of speaking, she could have just rolled off of him to save herself, but for some reason…she didn't. She was used to thinking about other people's lives before her own, she was in law enforcement after all! She couldn't help it if the life happened to be that of a notorious virus.

"Like that would have killed either of us" Rachel shrugged at him, her grin settling down to her annoyed glare at her being questioned like this. It was making her uncomfortable, coming up with reasons to have saved Thrax.

In the tick of a second, Thrax was on top of her. Not in the way she would have wanted him moments before. No. Never in this way, with one of his hands wrapped threateningly around her throat as his eyes bore down at her. Instinctively, she tried to reach for her knife, but the free hand of Thrax caught her own frantic ones to pin them down at her side, her wrists clenched uncomfortably together as she let out an aggravated hiss. She was being suddenly reminded of just how strong and rough the virus could be when he wanted to, and she didn't like it. In fact, it took her some willpower to resist letting out gasp of pain.

"Why?" He snarled, claws poised at the ready to squeeze the gasps out of her if she answered wrong.

Rachel could not help to feel afraid, even if just for a moment. As if that wasn't enough to fill her with shame, she also chided herself that she had allowed herself to forget how truly dangerous and vile the virus was underneath his distracting touches and leers. Now it was like he was testing her, waiting and watching her every reaction and daring that she make a move. Unfortunately her facial expression had been narrowed down to wide eyed staring thanks to the amount of fear Thrax dragged out of her. She hoped that nothing else was being betrayed, as she could feel something sickeningly familiar start to spread in her.

After a moment though, Rachel resumed her ever cynically indifferent front, ready to fight Thrax off if need be. The thought of that for some reason made her sick, not out of fear, but of the possible outcomes of that. She was more than willing to do it still though.

"I don't know" She whispered harshly, telling the complete truth of how she was now at a loss herself for what the true reason she did save him was. Wasn't it just a couple months ago she would have been glad to see this murder dead? Wasn't it just a few months ago she couldn't care less if he was cut and bloodied before her eyes? Shouldn't she be wishing him dead right now, rather than dreading fighting him off…

Rachel began to wonder why she had grown to care so much for the psychopath, and why she felt more betrayed rather than guilty for thinking he wouldn't hurt her now.

Finally, after an agonizingly long moment of bearing his eyes down into her own, Thrax shook his head, and without lessening the distance between them, let go of her wrists and neck, which no doubt held new marks to match where he had bit and kissed on.

"Where in the hell did you ever pick up your language habits?" He grumbled, trying his best to move past the moment. Sensing that his temper had cooled, Rachel helped him out as she created a bit of distance by scooting back a couple inches.

"My dad. I used to make my kindergarten teacher blush with my more 'colorful' phrases" She told him, sitting herself back up on her elbows. One brow of Thrax's lifted for a moment in amused disbelief, and instantly Rachel felt the spike of worry of she having him at her neck die away.

Whatever that had been, it was past despite how quickly it came and went. And by the looks of things, Thrax was himself more than willing to forget it. Rachel, despite her natural curiosity and anger over his actions, felt relieved, and didn't even want to question him on it. Not out of fear of his reaction if she pressed him, but of his answer. She just didn't want to know, just move on and forget. That's what this whole arrangement had been about, right? Rachel could forget that moment of anger, she could forget anything if he just touched her again…she could forget everything except for how good he made her feel.

"I bet. Hell, you had me feeling dirty just for listening" Rachel chuckled at Thrax's answer, a smirk growing crooked on her face.

"Oh, I make you feel dirty?"

"Mmh-hm" Thrax hummed as he leaned down closer, leering.

"Please, elaborate" Rachel whispered as the virus's lips brushed against the side of her face, she turning her head to meet him-

Footfalls came to their attention in thankfully enough time for both virus and cell to work on their shirts before Jones kicked down the door. A fleeting thought of how the universe was dead sent against her scoring a night with the virus passed through Rachel's mind before the cop

"Rachel! Ugly! You're alive!" He shouted happily, running over to Rachel to look her over. She thankfully had zipped her jacket back on in time to ensure he didn't see any of red patterns on her skin.

"Yes Jones. We are very much alive" Thrax muttered as he looked over the rumbled state of Rachel's hair and clothes, as if trying to get one last savor of the moment the cop had ruined.

"No thanks to you. Where the hell were you two?" Rachel said as she smacked the back of Jones head. He only shrugged.

"Drix and I both got stuck in some kind of quick sand trap. It is now official, sand does really get everywhere"

"Can we just please get out of here?" Brought up Drix, spitting out pieces of grit as he stood in the door way.

"I don't know about that. Has Dr. Abigail showed up yet with the S.F.F.F.?" Rachel asked, unsure of whether they should try to leave this death trap of a house without some assistance. Assistance that had dynamite to blow out an escape route that didn't involve axes or swinging blades. A deep chuckle next to her dragged Rachel out of her despairing thoughts.

"Oh, scared are we baby? Why don't you just let Big Daddy Thrax hold you-"

"I told you never to refer to yourself like that. It's creepy" Rachel bit out at the leering virus next to her. At this, Thrax had the audacity to chuckle more, wagging a chiding finger at her.

"Aw, be good now baby or Big Daddy just might have to spank"

Before she could stop it, a blush of indignity flamed up Ray's face. Thankfully, she didn't manage to lose her voice, unfortunately, her protest came out as a sort of out of breath squeak.

"Stop it!"

"Yeah!" Jones joined in before Thrax could boom out another laugh "Or else I might need to press sexual harassment charges on you for scarring me with that imagery!"

A deeper blush worked its way onto Ray as she gulped, noticing the knowing look Thrax was tossing her way.

"Ugh, can you imagine…no, no. It's too horrible to even, uck" Went on Jones, serving only to anger Rachel as she refused her face to get any redder. Jones just turned to leave though, jogging out towards the exist with a haste. He wanted to get out of this death trap, outside help or no. The sand was the last straw for him.

"Come on. We'll just bust down the door or something, I want out of here and back on my little couch with a cold one now! After a shower of course…"

"Uh, Jones?" Rachel's hesitancy came too late as she and the others followed, as Jones was already in the foyer, screaming.

"Axes?! Why axes?!"

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

Whew! Things went hot, then cold, than scary for a minute there huh? No, don't worry, this isn't gonna turn into a dark, love abuse story. Rachel is too strong of a character to let that happen to her, and Thrax, well, I don't see him as that. Thrax's point of view of why he did what he did will be told in the next chapter!

Well then, that's all for now, same time hopefully, defiantly same place. Till then…

( •_•)

( •_•)⌐■-■

(⌐■_■)

Keep up the heat…

BTW, happy Fourth of July! *~* \(^0^)/ *~*


	18. Chapter 18 Boys Will Be Boys

Chapter 18; Boys Will Be Boys:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, lemony things, and lots of icky germs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Osmosis Jones' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

As promised, the next chapter, and in less than a week too! I am also updating the past chapters too, making them catch up to my current standard of writing. Nothing major, so don't worry about rereading anything now. Thank you all for your comments, each one gives me warm fuzzies! Please enjoy!

~o0o~

It was becoming a regular sight. Thrax, sitting in his couch, staring out the window in complete silence as his thoughts drifted over any number of subjects. But today, his mind couldn't drift. It was focused on the one subject he most wanted to not contemplate.

Rachel Leucocytus cared about him.

It was nearly enough to make Thrax shudder.

Never. Never in his entire life, had anyone cared. The sisters and brothers that were exterminated before him, though his only family, were killers to the core. That's what they, and he, and been designed for after all. Over the years , he had met many germs, viruses, and cells, but they were only using him, being used by him, or terrified of him. And that's the way he wanted it.

In a way, it could be said he was striving for the medical books to honor his brothers and sisters. But in actuality, Thrax was saw the slaughter of his kind as a personal insult that just because they together as a group were not effective killers, that he should be punished for it when he knew he could do so much better. They were still family though.

He was never bent up or insulted that other viruses used him for their own purposes when younger; he ended up learning things he would apply later. And as for his victims, the only things he ever remembered of them were their screams and how long it took him to make them howl like that.

But Rachel…

He never gave her a reason to do something so stupid. Sure, he had looked out for her by order of Andrew to get in good with the mayor to have the bonus of his chain back; which still had yet to happen. Certainly, he pursued her out of boredom and, admittedly, a had certain attraction for her fieriness. And of course, he saved her mutt and…oh, he was in really deep spit now.

Rachel cared about him, in her own way. At least enough to not allow him to die right before her eyes. The moment it happened, Thrax knew what was going on, and why he was saved a sore neck. He needed to make absolutely certain that she….that she wasn't in…Frank, he couldn't even bring himself to think on it, it was so pathetic.

Seeing the confusion in her eyes comforted Thrax though. She didn't feel…that. She cared, but people can get over care. He might have scared her a bit with his method of finding the truth from her, but Thrax knew from experience that people who thought they were on the verge of death were often the most honest. And thankfully, it was hard for people to tell what you were really thinking when you were being cruel. They only saw the cruelty. Maybe that's all he wanted her to see. If she saw how shocked he was by her actions despite finding that she didn't feel anything deeper, well, he did not want that.

Still, the whole thing, it startled him. It was a new experience, the kind he wasn't sure he ever wanted to feel again. Someone…cared about him. Caring was a weakness, one that Thrax himself could safely say he never had. It opened up a virus to making mistakes, which not a single one could be afforded with their life style of just trying to survive day to day. And yet, this one cell, which at first hated him, now cared if he died before her eyes.

The thought almost left a bad taste in his mouth. And the really horrid thing was, it almost, but not quite, didn't seem so-

"Yeah! Men's night! The girls are away, it is time to play!"

Thrax nearly cringed at the loud cheer of Jones as the cop slid down the banister, followed by the cold pill and Zane who took the stairs like regular, sane people.

It was true, the girls were away. All of them; that pink female that hung around the mutt, that chatty red blood cell, Jones's girl, and even Rachel had decided they all needed a break and went to that one place were females go when in search of pampered relaxing. The spa.

Truth be told, though he, and Ray it seemed, was willing to move on from the care scare he had that couple nights ago at the mention, Thrax was relieved to have her away. If just to have one moment alone without the girl jumping him every time Jones and the cold pill were in another room.

Thrax let out a chuckle at the thought that it was he who was protesting to a fast and really eager woman. Well, even an animal like him needs a break every once in a while. Besides, it's not like they ever managed to make it past second base. He never could unclasp that teasing lace fast enough…

"Jones, can't I go back upstairs? I am nearly done with my latest invention and-"

"No!" Jones interrupted Drix's protest, face stern like a college lecturer "It is in the rule book of manliness that whenever a couple of bros' girls are out, those bros need to celebrate the bit of freedom granted them!"

Drix only sighed, his sentiment shared by the creepily perceptive Zane.

"Very well. But I shall not partake in the useless intoxication you call necessary for watch sports" Slumping himself down in front of the large screen TV, Jones turned to face his friend with a shake of disapproval.

"Slowly. Slowly I will turn you into a man…or pill, whatever" Drix sighed again, and after grabbing the remote, Jones then turned to face Thrax, who was reclining further into his own couch.

"Hi Ugly, you don't mind if I change the channel?" The only answer Jones received was a rather poisonous glare from the virus that was looking forward to quality time with himself, but the white cell took it as a no.

"Thought so" Muttered the white blood cell. Just then, Zane, hunger glazing over his red eyes, growled lowly, catching all's attention.

"Oh…uh, someone's gonna have to feed the rabies beast" Called out Jones, his eyes drifting over to the closest person to him to do the job. Thrax sneered.

"Don't look at me. That thing still hates me even though I saved its hide" He growled out to the red eyed creature that was now glaring at him as if he had insulted him. Or thinking that he looked tastier than any kibble Drix was now pouring for the beast in the kitchen. Honestly, with that thing, Thrax could never tell if it hated him or understood him; either way was disturbing when he thought on it. But the creature left him to go join besides the cold pill who started making himself dinner.

"Yeah, I read that in the report" Jones muttered, his voice dragging out as he continued with caution "What are you up to? You've been…hanging around Ray more than I like"

At this, Thrax chuckled. Oh, the truth he could tell, it would make the hairs on the back of the cell's neck curl. But…

"Oh, just trying to get in good with the doctor" Thrax decided to answer with, smirking at the truth inside of the statement. Jones joined Thrax's grinning merriment with an amused scoff, shrugging his shoulders.

"Is that all? Well, I can't believe I am saying this, but I wish you luck! Rachel wouldn't be caught dead with an ugly psychopath like you. Now handsome psychopath, that's up for debate" Jones answered in full confidence of what he was saying, unaware of Thrax's smirk spreading as if he had heard the greatest joke of the week.

"I'll keep that in mind Jones"

After a few minutes of flipping channels in order to find the one with the brutish sports on it, Jones called out to Drix.

"Hey, Betty Crocker! When are you gonna get my beer?" The clatter of a knife that was chopping up some odd looking vegetable for the pill's salad clattered against the counter top.

"Oh in about 5 minutes after YOU QUIT ASKING ME THAT!" The cold pill shouted back to his friend, getting agitated and wondering why he couldn't go to the spa too; if just to get away from this place for a few minutes.

"What's got your testosterone in a twist?" Muttered Jones, slumping further into the couch as he kicked his feet up onto the coffee table before it. His posture grew tense however, as a chiming bell rang out.

"When the hell did we get a doorbell installed?" Jones asked himself as he stood up to go answer the side door that was by the gigantic stairs. Drix though was already on the move, a still hungry Zane at his heels. If he had any.

"I'll get it. It's probably the pizza you called for"

Wiping his hands on his apron, Drix grabbed the handle, and opened the door, only to narrow his eyes.

"Well, you're defiantly not the three amino and glucose deep dishes Jones ordered" Was his answer to the twenty something guns that were pointed at his face.

Following the obvious statement was the click of many safety latches going off, guns preparing to fire.

"Uh-oh"

Slamming the door as quickly as possible, Drix high tailed it over towards Jones and the couches he was amoungst, the doorway in which he stood seconds ago battered up with bullets. Zane slide himself over to by the stair case, snarling and growling while the others ducked down besides the coffee table.

Soon enough, the loud resounds of guns firing quieted down, replaced quickly by hesitant steps coming inside. Still hunkered down low, Jones, dared to peek around to get a glance of a large gang of germs, viruses, and other such general scum.

"Jones, come out!" One of them called out as they continued to enter hesitantly, Zane going silent to watch them carefully from his undetected position.

"Shit! Who are these guys?!" Lowly whispered Jones. Thrax, who was crouched down beside him, rolled his eyes.

"What's that matter? How did they know you were here in this supposedly abandoned hospital?" Jones's eyes widened in realization before narrowing down in determination, and shifting himself lower to the ground as the germs came closer, he pointed to his barely hidden friend.

"Damn, you're right. Drix, see if you can't call the S.F.F.F. to make sure the girls are okay"

Just as Drix nodded to comply with his friend's order, a familiar shape waltzed in through the blasted door way. The squat, icky green and black goateed blob figure came to stand before his hired men, causing Thrax, Drix, and Jones to cringe.

"Oh, I can't believe it" Drix muttered as he shook his head. Jones though nearly stood up as he shouted "You again?! Can't you just stay in jail and rot?!"

The green blob that once tried to kill Frank's Finest on their second case, and was defeated with a flood of falling boxes, stood proud, and tried to look somewhat imposing as he chuckled. Somewhat.

"Not while you breathe Jones. And today you are breathing you're last!" With that, a barge of bullets came hurtling towards Frank's Finest. Pressing themselves as low to the floor as possible, each member thought of just how their luck had turned from the girls getting rid of themselves to this.

"All I wanted was some pizza, beer, and a bloodied sport to watch. Is that really too much to ask?" Grumbled Jones as he wondered where the hell he left his gun. Drix, now done sending his hurriedly typed text to the S.F.F.F., sighed in agreement.

"Well, looks like you got your bloodied sport, only I fear it is a bit more interactive than you wanted" Jones smirked at his friend, who then smiled. Thrax though let out something of a grunt of disgust, and dared to look from around the couch to see that the men, as armed and as willing to fire they were, had yet to advance towards them. Maybe they had learned from the first time not to get close to him, or more likely, his claws.

"Come on, I got a plan" Spoke up Jones after a few more seconds of dogging bullets. He started to army crawl towards the coffee table, and having no choice, Thrax and Drix followed.

"Mind letting us in on what exactly this plan is?" Grumbled the virus.

"Nah, but don't worry. I know almost exactly what I'm doing!" Announced Jones right before he stood up. Quickly, he grabbed the wooden coffee table, and placing it before him like a shield, sprinted towards the gang of germs.

"Hey Zane, fetch!" He called out as he continued his charge. From behind the germs, Zane sprang out from the spiral staircase. Pinned between a fearless cop with a heavy table and a unfathomably quick creature of six legs, the gang of scum felt no escape except to retreat up the stair case, especially when Thrax and Drix decided to charge after Jones, claws and immunization cannon at the ready.

"AAAAAHHHH!" Was the retreating screams of the germs as they practically flew up the stair case, allowing Jones, Drix, and Thrax to retreat to somewhere better to wait for their supposed attackers to come and get them.

"Good bad dog" Was the thanks Zane got as he trotted alongside Jones, who led the Finest down the long hall way that led to the mortuary "Okay fellas, it's time to run like our lives depend on it, cause, they do!"

o0o

"The S.F.F.F. has confirmed that Rachel, Abigail, and Leah are safe. A swat team is coming, but with us in the building, they won't open fire until they are certain we won't harmed" Depressingly announced Drix as he leaned himself against the wall of the hallway they boarded themselves in, the gang of germs still too concerned by getting eaten by a rabies virus to venture from the upstairs.

"Fine time for them to be concerned for our safety" Grumbled Jones with a sigh. Drix only nodded.

"It appears that we are all at a standstill"

"Appears so" Started Jones, stroking his goatee as another plan shape in his mind "Maybe if we had them chase one of us into a corner and then pull a turnabout with a few hiding in the back to ambush in a blaze, we might have a chance. But there's too many of them to risk that plan-"

"Jones, slow down. It's dangerous for someone like you to use your entire vocabulary in a single sentence" Interupted Drix, causing Thrax, from the section of wall he was leaning against, to join the cold pill's chuckle with one of his own. Even Zane seemed to be smiling, which only served to creep Jones out as he scowled at the others.

"Oh, haha"

"No, I think he's got something" Thrax spoke out once done being disturbed that he had just shared a laugh with the snob of a medication. Jones's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

"Really?" The virus only shrugged; if he was going to get rid of the annoying gang of germs, without killing any of them as Jones forbade him, they were going to need a plan. And unfortunately, the plan the cop was spouting out did sound like the best one they could have. It hurt Thrax inside as he forced himself to continue.

"Drive them into a corner with a bit of bait, than have the remaining get them from behind in a tight space where we have the advantage of position. It could work, but it would be risky" Explained Thrax, earning confused, and then approving nods from the cop and pill. They seemed to think it an acceptable plan, even if the virus was the one that came up with it. But right now, they couldn't be pesky with who they trusted, not while help was still a long ways off.

"Well, risky is my middle name!" Finally spoke Jones, his way of agreeing to the plan. Drix's brows furrowed in confusion.

"I thought it was Christopherson?" Thrax suppressed a snort of amusement while Jones decided to ignore his friend's ignorance as he looked around.

"Anyways, who is going to be bait?"

All heads, including Zane's, turned till they faced the very one who asked such a silly question. Jones's shoulders slumped down defeatedly.

"Aw, you guys suck"

o0o

"Okay, I'm in position. You see any of them coming yet?" Whispered Jones into the walkie he had in his hand as he tip toed further and further down the hallway.

The plan, was well, basically Jones would go find the gang members, lead them down to an area where they had the advantage, and surprise them. The only comfort to Jones about this plan was that he had found his gun, and was wearing his non-squeaky suedes.

"Not yet" Answered Drix from the other end, keeping watch over his friend via the security cameras he had placed long ago through a computer in Rachel's lab. Hopefully, as they needed it to survive another day, she would not be so mad they used her stuff without permission. Hopefully.

"Wait," Spoke up Thrax, causing Jones to pause "I got a glimpse of a suspicious looking fella. Ugly lookin' mug, and he is headed your way"

"Where?" Whispered Jones as he clicked off the safety of his gun, then pressing himself up against the side of the hallway.

"Look to your left" Glancing the direction Thrax told him too, Jones was greeted by a reflection of himself in a gleaming window. He scowled as he went on.

"I hate you Thrax"

"Noted" The virus answered back, failing to hide his amusement. Just as he was getting ready to turn the corner that was the entry to the scrounge lounge, Jones pressed himself further up against the wall of the hallway as unfamiliar voices started up.

"What the hell was that creature?" One of the goonies reclining on what was the remains of Thrax's couch.

"I don't know, but now I'm thinking of getting my own scented hand soap. The bottle up in that room smelled amazing…" Answered the annoying green blob that was their boss as he waddled over to the kitchen, apparently to grab another beer. Jones shook his head in confusion. He thought these idiots were after him for revenge; what were they doing reclining and drinking like they owned the place?

Maybe, they weren't here for something as simple as a kill. They did, after all, find the top secret location of Frank's Finest, something not even the Chief of Police was privileged to know. Whatever was going on here just might be more than it looks like. For the moment though…

"Hiya guys!" Jones announced himself as he stepped from the corner, smiling and waving. It took a whole of two seconds to grab all the germs attention, and one more for them to find their vocal cords.

"There is his boss!" Shouted one faceless crony, and Jones took off like a rocket.

The sound of pounding footsteps echoed behind him as he sprinted, and the shouts of the still vengeful green blob almost hurt Jones' ears.

"Run faster, run faster, run faster" He chanted to himself as he kept up his pace, feeling that he was losing his tailing germs as he made quick work of the stretched hallway. When a bullet whizzed past his head, Jones found out that he was wrong about the distance, and glanced back to see that, in fact, they were gaining on him,

"Oops. Run even faster" Was his self-pep talk to keep going as more bullets came at him. Tucking around the archway that led to Rachel's lab. But instead of heading towards the icky, creepy place where the bodies were stored, Jones ducked into the garage.

"If you guys keep this up, you'll only go to jail tired!" Was his final call to alert the gang of germs of where he had gone, the twenty something knuckleheads skidding to a stop to turn towards the pair of doors Jones slammed behind himself.

As they burst into the spacious garage that the virus had been spending the past couple of weeks organizing and clearing out, the germs led by the blob found Jones standing in the middle of it all, gun pointed towards them as if ready for his last stand. The green blob chuckled cruelly, believing he had his enemy cornered.

"You think you can take down me now?! Bring it on!" He shouted victoriously.

"Man, it is totally brung! I mean brang!" Jones stumbled to insult back, but only managed to make himself confused. Just as the gang was about to hear the order to open fire from their leader, another voice spoke.

"Oh, bad grammar. That outta scare them" Thrax chuckled as he stepped out from behind the sheet covered vehicale he was hiding behind, a smirk on his face. Before any of the unwelcomed germs could let off a shot, he yanked the dusty sheet off.

Headlights sprang to life as Drix started the engine to the Fine Mobile, and with skidding tires, lunged the car towards the awaiting, dumbstruck influenza.

"What the– look out!" Like frozen bowling pins awaiting for the enavatable strike, Drix rammed towards the germs at full speed, making them all scatter, some dropping their weapons in desperation. Speeding past where they all once stood, Drix made to turn the vehicale around in the spacious gagare to go another round, when Thrax, Jones, and by now the very hungry Zane went in to group them back up again.

Jones was shooting knee caps and board sides from his crouched position behind a tool shelf while Thrax did what he did best, and slashed, clawed, and scrapped anything and everything that was unfortunate enough to get near him. He did his best not to kill anything on pain of Jones giving him a boring, long speech about why he shouldn't, but it was just so hard paying attention to whether he was hitting something vital or not.

Several shots fired above Thrax's head as a few germs finally found their weapons and nerves, and the virus had to take cover. Taking refuge behind a old tin can of a car, he didn't notice one particularly quiet germ sneak up behind him.

Until Zane landed on him that is, the poor germ barely able to let out a scream. Turning around to see a struggling crone underneath a proud looking rabies virus, Thrax smirked.

"Good bad dog" Was his hesitant thanks as he patted the head of the red eyed creature, who let out an approving purr. Maybe the mutt thought them even now for having saved each other's hide, but what ever the reason for the small bonding moment, Thrax forgot it quickly as he went back into the fray just in time to see it end.

With the help of a fast car driven by a cold pill, the improved aim of Jones, Thrax's lust for violence, and Zane's anger that he was being denied food, the gang of twenty germs was laid out, sprawled as they groaned in pain or were just unconscious.

"I swear Jones, this isn't over-" Started the green blobbed leader before Jones placed a foot on him to keep him from squirming as he put on a pair of handcuffs.

"Yeah, it is. Cause I got a life, and you only got a life's sentence" Picking up the blob and tossing him over into the pile of criminals Drix and Thrax were putting together, Jones then slumped down against the still warm Fine Mobile, letting out an fatigued sigh.

"Is it just me, or is the ceiling spinning?"

"It's just you. It's the floor that's spinning" Answered Drix as he came to stand next to where his friend was sitting, leaning against the car that had served him well exhaustedly. Jones rolled his eyes.

"Oh, right. Silly me" Another sigh was let out as he looked over the groaning pile of germs that no doubt will take hours to sort through with the S.F.F.F. Who still have to show up by the way. And that would mean talking to Andrew about it. Great.

"Well, there goes guys' night" Jones let out with his third sigh, hitting the back of his head against the car to knock the notion of getting to relax out of his head. From his place leaning against the door frame with Zane next to him, Thrax shrugged.

"I don't know. It was fun for me to beat germs into unconsciousness"

"That's cause you have problems" Was Jones' answer to that, only to have Thrax point at him.

"Argument could be made that you do to"

"…touché"

"What did I say about using up all your vocabulary?" Put out Drix, and shockingly, all three of them chuckled. Maybe it was exhaustion, maybe it was recent lady problems, or maybe it was because the mayor was succeeding in making them all go crazy. But for just a moment, the white blood cell, the pill, and the virus were content with just sitting around, joking, all while waiting for the damned S.F.F.F. to show up.

Unfortunately, it was not the S.F.F.F., or even Andrew who showed up first.

It was the girls. And the house was still a mess.

"What the…Jones?" Asked Rachel as the garage door opened wide enough to allow Dr. Abigail's car in, she stepping out from the front seat to look at them incredulously.

"Ray, Leah!" Perked up Jones without bothering to stand, his girl sliding out from the back seat, her eyes wide and unbelieving the mess she saw before her.

"And look! Dr. Abby and Gypsy, how nice for you to join us! How was the spa? You ladies just look so lovely and refreshed! You should go more often! My treat!" Jones continued to chat, more to himself than the approaching females that looked voer the men's mess with horror and humor.

"What happened here?" Asked Leah as she nudged at a unconscious germ's hand, only to then shake her head "Never mind, I don't want to know"

"Drixie honey, you okay?" Abigail spoke kindly and with sympathy as she came over to Drix, putting a hand on his cheek. The pill blushed, and placed his hand over hers.

"Now I am" Rachel rolled her eyes as Zane trotted over happily to her.

"Frank, spare me" She mumbled as she gave an affectionate scratch to her loyal pet before making her way towards Jones. Moving on from him to Drix after making sure they didn't have any outstanding wounds, she went over to Thrax. The virus smirked up at the doctor when she took longer than necessary to make sure he was not harmed, and a distracted Jones and Drix didn't notice her smirk back.

"Well, you three look alright. Still ugly and annoying, but alright" She announced as she stood herself back up, only to then catch a familiar whiff of something that vaguely smelled of "Did they get into my room?"

All three men's eyes went wide with fear as they realized that the top floor in which Zane had initially driven the gang of germs into, was all Rachel's room. How could they forget a simple fact like that? Just…oh shit.

"Uh…well, maybe…" Drix tried to start as Jones stood himself up, slowly creeping towards the door way Thrax was now itching to open up.

"What?" Was Rachel's growling response, sending Zane to slide over to the much more mildly tempered Gypsy, who was excited to have a few moments with her rabies buddy.

"Now, now Rachel" Jones went on to explain as all together, the men started to make a retreat We had to drive them somewhere while we worked up a plan. I swear, they probably weren't even up there long enough to start rummaging through your wardrobe. Though, I do think that one over there might have used some of your hand soap-"

"You all are so dead!" And like the vicious females they were, all the girls took Rachel's side as she charged after the guys, no doubt trying to reach for that hunting knife she always had stored on her. Thrax tucked himself away in the lab as Jones and Drix went down the hall way, saving himself from the females' wrath and more than likely happy to place the cop and cold pill in harm's way.

"Get back here so I can kill you!" She called out after Drix and Jones as they barreled down the long passage.

"Got a plan for this?" Drix asked as he tried to gasp in his breathes, only to have his friend look at him hopelessly as the sound of heels started to gain on them.

"Yeah! It mainly involves running faster and possibly begging for our lives when they catch us!"

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

Could this, be male bonding time? Hehe, I had tons of fun with this chapter, as I wanted Thrax to bond with Drix and Jones, and even Zane a bit before I went forward. Cause next up, we get a chapter that has an earth shattering revelation that will send you all squealing for an update! Hehe, love teasing you all.

Well then, that's all for now, same time hopefully, defiantly same place. Till then…

( •_•)

( •_•)⌐■-■

(⌐■_■)

Keep up the heat…


End file.
